a ma Republic o Department ofthe Interns sad atl Gover nate BUREAU OF FIRE PROTECTION NATIONAL HEADQUARTERS Office of the Chief, BFP Rm, 618, 145 Union Sguare Condominium 1h Aven, Ct Tet No 91 708s * Fan: (02) 901-700 Queen Cay February 25, 2010 (MEMORANDUM CIRCULAR NUMBER: 2010 = 17, SUBJECT: GUIDELINES IN THE APPROVAL OF ALTERNATIVE AND/OR REMEDIAL FIRE ‘SAFETY MEASURES GENERAL Pursuant to Section 10 (c} and 54 of Republic Act {RA| 6975 and Section 5 of Republic Act [RA) 9514 otherwise known as The Fire Code of the Phiippine of 2008, and in compliance with Section 14.0.0.3 of its implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR). these guidelines are hereby prescribed to promote pubic safely relative to application and approval/acceptance of Altemative and/or Remedial Fre Salely Measures for existing public or private buildings, facillies or structures and their premises or portion thereot. I. score These Implementing Guidelines shall apply to all existing private or public buildings, facilities or structures and their premises or portion thereo! erecled or Constructed before the effectivity of RA 9514 andiils IRR, where compliance with the fie safely requirements as specified in the IRR of RA 9514 will compromise the structural stabiity/integrty of the scid buildings, facilfies or structures which necesstates Altemative and/or Remedial Fire Safety Measures. These also apply to existing public and private buildings, facilies, structures and theit premises or portion thereof granted with Cerfiicate of Exemption 10 install Automatic Fire Sprinkler System (AFSS] by the Chief, Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) and/or the Director General of the Phiippine Constabylary/integrated National Police [PC/INPJunder Presidential Decree No. 1185. ML OBuEcTiVE |. To prescribe guidelines in the application and approval of alternative and/or Remedial Fire Safety Measures. 2. To rationalize the selection or identtication of appropiate Alternative and/or Remedial Fire Safety Measures in lieu of the fire salety requirements for installation of AFSS to existing public or private buildings, stucture or facilities ‘and their premises or portion Ihereot 3. To establish the procedure to be followed by the line units of the BFP prior to AR Insincere Chit1X REPEAUNG CLAUSE All directives, issuances, memoranda inconsistent with this Memorandum Cixcuiar are hereby repealed or amended accordingly, Certificates of Exemption on ine installation of Automatic Fre Suppression System {sprinkler system) issued prior 10 this Memorandum Circular, excep! those eligible Certificates of Exemption with coresponaing BFP Order or PC/INP Order. signed and Issued by the Chiet, BFP or Director General, PC/INP, respectively, are hereby nulified However, all eligible Certificates of Exemption issued earier are subject 10 review! renewal within sity (60) days upon effectivity of this Mernorandum Cveular x _EFFECTIVITY ‘his Memorandum Circular shall lake elfect immediately a ROI DILLA JR, CESO IV DIRECTOR (osc) BFP Ghiet, aeP Approved: BY AUTHORITY OF THE SECRETARY, DILG: any. Po. TORPUS Undersecretary for Publlc SafetyDEFINITION OF TERMS 1. Republic Act 9514 ~ The Fre Code of tne Philippines of 2008 amending Presidential Decree 1185. 2. Automatic Fire Suppression Sysiem- an integrated system of underground or overhead piping Connected to a source of extinguishing agen! or medium, designed in accordance with tre protection engineering standards to include, but not limited 10 Automatic Fre Sprinkier System which when cluated by its automatic aetecting device suppresses ive within the oreo protected even without numan intervention. 3. Approved Supervised Sprinkler System (ASS) - an integrated network of hydraviically designed piping system inslaied in a building, siructure or facilly with outlets ananged in a sysiematic pattern. it automatically discharges water when activated by heat or combuslion products of fre. 4. Altermative and/or Remedial Fie Safely Measures- set of fre safely rules, regulations, and standards speciticaly applied to exsling public oF private buidings. structures or facilities and ther premises or portion thereot consiructed or erected prior 1o the implementation of RA 9514, which has no existing ASSS required under the said low. 5. Fie Sately Technical Commitice- a group created 1 evaluale ond recommend appropriate action relative to application for Allernalive and/ or Remedial Fre Satety Measures. AUTHORITY TO GRANT APPROVAL/ACCEPTANCE Pursuant fo Section 4.0.0.4 of the iRR of RA 9514, only the Chvet, BFP may approve the Alterative and/or Remedial File Safety Measures in teu of the fre solely requirements in the installation of AFSS to existing public or private buidings, facilities or sttuctures and ther premises or portion thereo! constructed o erected prior 10 the implementation of RA 9514, provided that any aggrieved party may appeal to the: Secretary, DILG. vi PROCEDURES A. Requirements of the Application All applications for Allemative and/or Remedial Fre Satety Measures in eu of the fre safety requiements pursuant fo section 14.0.0.4 of the IRR of RA 9514 shal be supported by the following documents: ab |. Letter request stating the reason/s for applying Alternative and/or Remedial ‘Measures in lev of the lire sately requirements in the installation of ASSS. 2. As-built plans certiied by Architect or Civil Engineer showing among others, the fire exis floor and/or location of the fre hose, slanapipes, valves, freD. Means of Egress (Exit Details) vu. 1. Provision/Consiruction of @ minimum of two (2) secondary fire exits, remote from each other, with travel distance of 20% less from the standard requirements, 2. Installation/Provision of ail the following in the secondary exits, fo wit: ©. Fire resistive door with panic hardware. b. Selt-closing fire door with minimum width of 20% more from standard requirement. . Batlery-operated emergency light in all of the stair landings. d, Termination of all exits to public egress, continuous and unobstructed at all times, 3. Allfire exits must be mechanically pressurized. 4. Installation of iluminated exit signs in conspicuous place leading to emergency exis. Fire Safely and Prevention Programs 1. Creation of fre brigade organization with Cerfiicate of Competency (COC) of members issued by the BFF. 2. Compulsory attendance for all members of the fie brigade in all fre safely seminars conducted in the building, facilly or structure, 3. Conduct of fife evacuation ail quarterly with comesponding certification issued by the OC/MFM concemed. 4. Compulsory attendance of all occupants fo at least two (2) fire safety seminars in the building annually 5. Compulsory briefing/orientation of ail new tenants and/or occupants on fire salely program of the building within one {I} month upon reguiar ‘employment in any office/business within the building, lacilty or structure. GRACE PERIOD The owner/administrator/occupant shall complete the consiruction/renovation of the building, facility of structure including the installation and final testing of fire protection and waming systems and other requiements in the approved application within sic (6) months from the date of approval of the proposed Alternative and/or Remedial Fre Sately Measure, provided, that a duly notarzed Affidavit of Undertaking shall be executed by the owner or his authored representative stating compliance with the conditions set, notwithstanding appropriate measures undertaken to ensure reasonable fre safety during compliance.9 10. glam els, call points, switch boxes, fire exlingusners, smoke and heat detectors, emergency ighis and source of power and water, ana other fre sately requirements Cattiied tue copies of the building and/or renovation, and Occupancy Permits (OP) isued by the Bulking Official, Cerilied true copies of Fie Satety Comection Sheet/Checklst/Clearance and fire ‘Salety Inspection Certiicale (FSIC) {it any) ftom the Olfice of the City/Municipal Fite Marshal (OC/MEM). - Cerlified true copy of the latest Fre Salety Inspection Report {FSIR) or Notice to. Comply and/or Notice 1o Correct Violation (NIC/ NICV}, Ceriifcation from Structural Engineer, preferably a member of the Associations of Siruciural Engineers of the Philippines (ASEP). declaring that the said buildings, faciities or structures cannot support additional load for the installation of ASSS. Proposed Allerative and/or Remedial Fire Safely Measures, including designs €nd specifications, to be instalad and/or consiiucted in eu ol the Wwe safely equirements, duly certiied by Qualified Technical Personnel/ Fire Safely Engineer/ FALAR Practitioners and approved by the owner/auihorned representative. Copy, of Fe Safety and Prevention Program (Fie Brigade Organization) Gelucing evaluation plan ceriiied by the Chiet, Fre Biigade/Chie! Safely Pacer Of the bulcings, facts or structures concemed and approved by the owner/auihoried representative. Cument Certificate of Fre Drill sued by OC/MFM. Aificavit of Undertaking absolving the BFP from any crminal/adminishative lobiliy in case of fre and tire related deaths and injures, rin, gholocopied documents shall be cerliied true copy by the authorized official of the issuing office. 8. Processing and Approval of Application Jrepplication ir Alternative and/or Remedial Fre Sately Measures together Wilh the required documents shall be submitted 10 the OC/MFM concer Tie ice of the Regional Diector concemed shall evaluate the appiication SMsecssortmeNd APHOpIIGIe action (te approvaildsapprovel’ belek Tesering he some to ihe Chiet, BFP (ATIN: Chaspetson, fe Solely Technical Committee (FSIC)}.vu. ALTERNATIVE AND/OR REMEDIAL FIRE SAFETY MEASURES A. Fie Safety Construction |. Allintetior partitions must be made of tke resistive materials including parts or components, extending Irom slab to slab. 2. Rooms, vertical and horizontal openings oF parts tnereot must be totally enclosed. 3. All pipes chase mus! be consirucied with tre collar oF fitted wilh sealant, 4. All exposed steel structure components must be covered/coated with fire resistive materials to protect is structural stabilly during contlagration. 5. All firewalls must be extended 20% more trom the established standard requirement. 6. All other fre safety construction components must be constructed in accordance with esiabiished standard requiement for any type of ‘occupancy. B. Occupancy Load |. Actual occupant load and egress capacily for al kinds of occupancies must not exceed the estabished occupant load standard for any type of occupancy. C. Fie Protection |. Installation of any or ail the following pre-engineered suppression systems: 2. Celing Type Fire Suppression System using other extinguishing agents with ‘automatic heat and smoke detection. 'b. Liquefied Gaseous Fire Suppression System in high hazard areos within the building premises or structure. 2. Installation/Provision of portable fie protection {lire extinguisher) for the itferent types of hazard in any type of occupancy shall be increased by 20% from the standard requirements, 3. Provision/Installation of ary and wet standpipe. Wet standpipe must be ‘operational with fre keys andi not through gravity oF overhead tanks. 4. Installation of automatic alarm and signaling system according to established Ae standards.4. The inspection and evaluation reports, together with ne application and supporting documents, shall be caretuly evaluated and delberated by the FSIC and therealter recommend tne approval/dsapproval of. the ‘application by the Chief, BFP. 5. Approved proposed Alternative and/or Remedial Fre Salely Measure shail be property issued with comesponding Bureau Order enumerating among others the name of the buiking, facilly or structure, location/adaress. ‘owner/adminisirator, the Aitermative and/or Remedial Fre Salety Measures 10 be insialled/corsirucied in leu of the fe salely requirement and the condition ofits approval (i.e. grace period 0 instal/construct the alternative and/or remedial fre sately measure, observance of fre sately requirements, ec}. Disapproved proposal shall be referred back fo the Regional Director concerned for subsequent information fo the owner/tepresentative. Issuance of Certificate of Exemption |. Upon completion of the instalation and/or construction of the Alternative and/or Remedial Fre Sately Measures, the owner/epresentative shall formaliy request the OC/MFM concemed for an inspection of the completed fire safety measues, 2. An inspection will be conducted by the OC/MFM concemed and endorse its findings to the Otfice of the Regional Director concerned, thru the D/PEM, 3. The Office of the Regional Director concerned shall evaluate findings and Fecommend appropriate action (re: approval/disapproval) to the C, BFP (ATTN: Chairperson, FSIC) 4. The Chairperson of the FSIC or his authorized representative shall conduct Physical inspection of the existing public or private buildings, faciilies or situctures and ther premises or portion thereot lo evaluate compkance with the approved Alternative and/or Remedial Fre Safety Measures 5. The inspection and evaluation reports shall be deliberated upon by the FTC. The resull of the deliberation will be the basis of the recommendation for the approval/disapproval of the Chiet, BFP. 6 Upon approval, a comesponaing certificate in the form of Bureau Oxder shall bbe issued by the Chief, BFP enumerating among others, the name of Bulding, facility oF sttucture: addres/ocation; owner/adminisirator the Alternative and/or Remedial Fie Safety Measures instaled/consirucied in lieu of fre salely requirement; and the condition of _approvalacceplance. Disapproved appiication shail oe retemed back fo the Office of the Regional Director concemed for subsequent information lo. the concemed owner/representative, 7. Atfer compliance of the requred Allemmative and/or Remedial Fire Satety Measures and the conesponaing certiicale of approval by the Chief, BFP. FSIC may now be issued by the concerned OC/MFM.