Pennsylvania Act 1996-47 — FIRE AND PANIC ACT - SMOKE DETECTORS IN CLASS VI BUILDINGS

Act text

Session of 1996

No. 1996-47

HB 2063

AN ACT

Amending the act of April 27, 1927 (P.L.465, No.299), entitled, as amended, "An act to provide for the safety of persons employed, housed, or assembled in certain buildings and structures by requiring certain construction and ways of egress, equipment, and maintenance; providing for the licensing of projectionists, except in cities of the first class and second class; requiring the submission of plans for examination and approval; providing for the promulgation of rules and regulations for the enforcement of this act; providing for the enforcement of this act by the Department of Labor and Industry, the Department of Health, boards of school directors and, in certain cases, by the chiefs of fire departments in cities of the third class; providing penalties for violations of the provisions of this act; and repealing certain acts," further providing for smoke detectors in Class VI buildings.

The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania hereby enacts as follows:

Section 1. Section 3.6 of the act of April 27, 1927 (P.L.465, No.299), referred to as the Fire and Panic Act, is amended by adding a subsection to read:

Section 3.6. Standards for Class VI Buildings.--* * *

(f.1) (1) The smoke detection devices required under this section need not be interconnected or electronically connected for family child day-care homes. For the purposes of this act, noninterconnected smoke detection devices shall be deemed acceptable where:

(i) each device is an enclosed nonreplaceable battery smoke detector unit which meets applicable UL standards and has a minimum ten-year limited warranty commencing with the date of purchase; and

(ii) the activation of each detector results in an alarm that is audible to persons in the indoor child-care space with all intervening doors closed.

(2) Family child day-care home operators shall maintain, in their fire drill logs, proof of purchase, including the date of purchase of the smoke detector.

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Section 2. This act shall take effect immediately.

APPROVED--The 22nd day of May, A. D. 1996.

THOMAS J. RIDGE