IHPA WILL NOT PURSUE ASTM CODE CHANGE

In a close vote by its membership, the IHPA has decided not to pursue a code change involving the American Society for Testing & Materials (ASTM) impact standard. The ASTM standard was added as one of three acceptable standards in Florida’s new Building Code, but would allow for hurricane protection in a wind zone region less than 130 mph to be tested at a much lesser impact than provided in the Miami/Dade County or Southern Building Code Congress International (SBCCI) approval (see Hurricane Protection, Spring 2002, page 10).

The difference in impact value could be a reduction of about 75 percent, IHPA President Frank Storms reported at the association’s March 5 meeting. IHPA board polled the membership seeking a decision on which of two alternatives to pursue: First, do nothing and see how it plays out. Second, hire a code consultant to work with the Florida Building Commission to obtain a code change requiring that all Florida wind-borne debris regions have the same large-missile impact standard of a nine-pound, nine-foot wood two-by-four at a speed of 50 feet per second. At the time, it was estimated that pursuing the code change could cost some $25,000 without a guarantee of success.

At IHPA’s April 24 meeting, the results of the poll were reported. The vote was close, Storms reported, but the membership voted not to pursue a code change at this time.

COLLIER CO. RELAXES FIRE SPRINKLER POLICY

This spring’s decision to enforce the long-time national fire code led some local fire chiefs to think condos with fire sprinklers inside must also have them on lanais or balconies before storm shutters could be installed. According to a report by John Henderson published in the Naples News June 8, county officials have backed off the controversial move.

It was a decision that delighted hurricane shutter companies. “It’s great,” said Mike Marczak, All Weather Hurricane Shutters, of the county’s change in policy. Marczak, who has owned the Naples-based company since 1988, said he lost at least five jobs to install hurricane shutters in condos when the county decided to enforce the long-time national fire code.

Shutter company officials had been concerned that the extra costs to the condo owner of extending fire sprinkler systems out to balconies or lanais might deter people from buying new shutters. They were concerned that had the county continued on its path, some condo owners might have had to spend thousands of dollars more for a shutter job, with walls of some condos units having to be torn out. Many feared it could kill the local shutter business.

Michael T. Condon, All Seasons Shutter, in Naples, was one of the first to have a shutter permit put on hold in early May. He said before he went to pick up the county permit, he had quoted a price for the new shutter job to his client. Condon said he ended up having to pay half of the costs of extending the sprinklers out to the balcony, which added up to $400.

“They (the county) sent me a letter two days ago and said I don’t need to have sprinklers. I spent $400 for nothing. They (the client) got sprinklers they aren’t required to have,” he said.

Marczak said due to the change in county policy, he is confident he will be able to land some of those jobs that he had lost. “I’ll be able to sell those jobs now and get people the protection they want,” he said.

Collier County Fire Code Official Ed Riley said the local fire chiefs had a change of position for several reasons. After looking over fire statistics, most of the fire chiefs did not see real problems with fires on balconies. In fact, he said fire officials could not identify even one local incident of a death or injury by fire on a balcony. Riley also said the shutter industry and some homeowners were up in arms.

“The other thing we looked at was hurricane shutters are intended to be used only in storm conditions, and not to be used to close up the place when people are living in there. We also looked at when they are left closed for extended lengths of time, which is generally when occupants are not home and may be up north,” he said. “So you don’t have a life-safety hazard in the unit.”

Not all of the fire chiefs voted to eliminate this review because they believe that balconies should have sprinklers for fire safety reasons.

IHPA board member Tom Johnston, Town & Country Industries, said IHPA had planned to contact the Division of the State Fire Marshal office to request a ruling on whether Collier County was accurately interpreting the code.

After learning that the county did an about-face, he said he still is going to ask for that ruling because the city of Naples still requires sprinklers on balconies.