# Officials question decision to waive sprinklers



## mark handler (Nov 9, 2014)

Officials question decision to waive sprinklers

http://www.newspressnow.com/news/local_news/article_4e195444-d921-5a95-83a9-cee7d5782bfc.html

Jessica Stewart | St. Joseph News-Press

A former city building official made a decision to waive a sprinkler system in The Big Biscuit, located at 139 N. Belt Highway. The restaurant has made other safety accommodations.

Saturday, November 8, 2014 6:00 am

By Jessica Shumaker St. Joseph News-Press | 2 comments

Some city officials are questioning the decision a former city building official made to waive a sprinkler system at a new local business.

Andre Messner, the city’s new chief building official, said when he first noticed that The Big Biscuit, located at 139 N. Belt Highway, did not have a sprinkler system, he thought it was an oversight by the city and that an architect did not include them in the plans.

What he found was that the former CBO, Austin Rice, had received a request by an architect to waive the code requirement outlined in the International Existing Building Code and approved it, and the decision had not been communicated with others in the department.

“No one in the building department had found out about it until all the renovations (were complete),” Mr. Messner said. “I came into the job and found that he waived it. I personally disagree with his interpretation (of the code), but according to the code the city had adopted, he had the right (to make the decision).”

Mr. Messner said had others known about the decision, it could have been sent to the board of appeals. Appeals must be filed within five days of a decision and the board also has that amount of time to meet and make a ruling on an appeal.

Mr. Messner said requiring the addition of sprinklers could cost the business an estimated additional $24,000. Although Mr. Messner and fire department officials supported a plan to give the business a year to install a system, the city ultimately chose to stand by Mr. Rice’s decision.

“It seems a pretty tough pill for a customer to take,” he said, to nearly be ready to open and to find that a decision was reversed. “... That’s not good for business relations or confidence (in the) building department to come back after the fact.”

Mr. Messner and St. Joseph Fire Chief Mike Dalsing pointed out that the business has undergone renovations to improve its safety — it now has electronic monitoring of the smoke detector and duct systems and there are now hood systems in place for fire suppression.

“It’s much ... safer than it was, but we didn’t get everything we could have,” he said.

Mr. Dalsing agreed with Mr. Messner in that fairness played a role in coming to that decision. Still, he said it’s not something he’d like to see continue.

“By no means are we happy that we weren’t able to have them put sprinkler systems in, but it does come down to an issue of fairness,” he said.

Mr. Messner said the department is transitioning to using a computerized system for permits. Employees are being directed to match physical copies of permit documents to the computerized version to ensure information matches.

The computer system is also being updated to alert fire officials to updates that involve them.

Jessica Shumaker can be reached

at jessica.shumaker@newspressnow.com.


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## cda (Nov 9, 2014)

Does not say if it use to be a restaurant

"""""Mr. Messner and St. Joseph Fire Chief Mike Dalsing pointed out that the business has undergone renovations to improve its safety — it now has electronic monitoring of the smoke detector and duct systems and there are now hood systems in place for fire suppression.""""

Well if they are cooking it needs a hood , don't think that is a renovation, when it is required

And if the iebc was used maybe by the iebc sprinklers are not required in this incident????


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## fatboy (Nov 9, 2014)

I agree, what was the existing prior use that caused the IEBC to used?


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## cda (Nov 9, 2014)

Looks like it is part of a strip center

http://www.newspressnow.com/news/local_news/article_4e195444-d921-5a95-83a9-cee7d5782bfc.html


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## mtlogcabin (Nov 10, 2014)

Change of use sprinklers required

Remodel no sprinklers required

Not enough info in the article to make a determination.



> at a new local business.





> Mr. Messner and St. Joseph Fire Chief Mike Dalsing pointed out that the business has undergone renovations to improve its safety — it now has electronic monitoring of the smoke detector and duct systems and there are now hood systems in place for fire suppression


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## FM William Burns (Nov 11, 2014)

I'm with MT, not enough information....... is it an A or B etc.


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## Pcinspector1 (Nov 20, 2014)

IBC 2012, 903.2.1.2 Group A-2.

1) Fire area may not have been over 5,000sf

2) Fire area may not have a OL> 100

3) Fire area IS on the exit discharge floor, one story

If these are all met, would a sprinkler system be required? The Big Biscuit is in a strip center as cda mentioned. Waived or not required?

IBC 301.1.1 tenant spaces used for assembly with an OL < 50 shall be classified as a "B-Occupancy"

pc1


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## fatboy (Nov 20, 2014)

Need more info.........


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## Pcinspector1 (Nov 20, 2014)

fatboy...agree

The only thing I could imagine is that the space was remodeled under the IEBC, Level 2 alteration, 804.2.2 (2) exception and the city may not have had sufficient water supply for fire sprinkler protection, requiring the smoke detection system?

pc1


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