§ 56-104. Fire suppression systems.

(a)

Fire suppression systems will be classified on the basis of water source and arrangement of supplies as follows:

(1)

Class 1. Direct connections from public service connection only; no pumps, antifreeze or other additives of any kind; all sprinkler drains discharging to atmosphere, dry wells, or other safe outlets.

(2)

Class 2. Same as Class 1 except that booster pumps may be installed in the connections. (Booster pumps do not affect the potability of the system.) It is necessary that pressure in the water main is not reduced below 20 psi to avoid drawing too much water from the main.

(3)

Class 3. Direct connection from the service connection, plus one or more of the following: elevated storage tanks; fire pumps taking suction from aboveground covered reservoirs or tanks; pressure tanks. (All storage facilities are filled or connected to public water only; the water in the tanks is to be maintained in a potable condition. Otherwise, Class 3 systems are the same as Class 5.)

(4)

Class 4. Similar to Class 1 and Class 2, but with an auxiliary water supply dedicated to Fire Department use and available to the premises, such as an auxiliary supply located within 1,700 feet (518m) of the pumper connection.

(5)

Class 5. Directly supplied from the service connection and interconnected with auxiliary supplies, such as pumps taking suction from reservoirs exposed to contamination, or rivers and ponds; driven wells; mills or other industrial water systems; or where antifreeze or other additives are used.

(b)

New water customers and existing water customers who are installing new fire suppression systems shall install backflow preventers on all fire suppression systems in accordance with the table below and within the applicable deadline provided in subsection 56-103(3) and (4):

Class	Minimum Level of Protection *
Class 1	DCDA
Class 2	DCDA
Class 3	DCDA
Class 4	RPDA
Class 5	RPDA

 

^* Abbreviations refer to types of preventers described in section 56-101 [definition of "backflow preventer"].

(c)

Existing water customers with Class 1 and Class 2 fire suppression systems are not required to install backflow preventers.

(d)

All existing systems being modified or upgraded shall have provision for any additional head loss caused by inclusion of the required backflow preventer in the modification design.

(e)

Exemptions may be granted to water customers with existing systems who can demonstrate to the satisfaction of the Department and the Miami-Dade Fire Rescue Department that installation of a backflow preventer would degrade the effectiveness of the fire protection system to a level unacceptable for fire suppression purposes.

(f)

All installations, testing, maintenance, repairs and replacements of backflow preventers used for fire suppression systems shall be performed by a certified contractors as defined in F.S. § 633.102, and certified in accordance with F.S. § 633.304.

(g)

In accordance with NFPA-13, all Fire Department connections shall be on the street side of buildings and shall be located and arranged so that hose lines can be readily and conveniently attached to the inlets without interference from any nearby objects including buildings, fences, posts, or other Fire Department connections.

(Ord. No. C-377, § 2, 5-5-2014)