13 AAC 50.035 - Permit required
(a) A company
designing, installing, testing, or maintaining fire alarm signaling systems or
automatic fire suppression systems must employ sufficient personnel who hold
valid permits in the appropriate classifications under this section to provide
direct oversight and supervision of work being performed on the fire systems. A
professional mechanical or electrical engineer registered under AS 08.48, who has
relevant system design experience, and the company that employs that engineer are
exempt from the permit requirements of this section for system design. A plumber
holding a certificate of fitness under AS 18.62 and certified by the manufacturer
of the system may perform multi-purpose residential suppression system
installations conforming to NFPA 13D (2019 edition) or
IRC P2904. Notwithstanding the requirements of this subsection,
(1) owner maintenance may be performed without
a permit; and
(2) fire alarm systems
may be installed under the direction of an electrical administrator licensed
under AS 08.40 without a permit required by this section if the final acceptance
test and certification of the system is conducted by a qualified person who holds
a valid permit under this section.
(b) A company that engages in the design, installation, or
maintenance of a system shall record its work by annotating plans, test
certificates, inspection reports, and system inspection tags with the permit
holder's permit number, or professional engineer's registration number or
seal.
(c) A permit issued under this
section expires three years from the date of issuance. The authority of a permit
holder to design, install, or maintain a system under a permit ceases immediately
upon expiration of the permit. A permit may be renewed upon application to the
division of fire and life safety on forms provided by the division and a minimum
of 15 documented credit unit hours of continuing education over the course of the
permit being renewed. Continuing education credit units are based on an
hour-for-hour formal training conducted within the permit type being renewed.
However, instead of 15 documented continuing education units for renewal, an
applicant for a state Class IB-Special permit described in (f)(3) of this section
must provide a current electrician journeyman license for this state and a
certificate of fitness under AS 18.62.
(d) A company must employ at least one permit holder who holds a
permit in the classifications specified in (e) of this section that cover the
work the company wishes to perform. A company may only perform work within the
scope of the permits held by its employees, except that system design drawings
may be prepared for that company by another company or individual who has the
necessary permits. If a permit holder terminates employment with the company, the
company shall immediately stop all activities within the scope of work authorized
by the permits held by that individual except that a company may complete work
designed by a permit holder following the permit holder's termination of
employment with the company if the design plans for that work have been prepared
and approved under
13
AAC 50.027 before the date of termination.
(e) A permit holder may, within the scope of
the permit holder's permit classification as defined in (f) of this section,
perform or supervise the preparation of technical drawings, and the installation,
inspection, or maintenance of fire alarm signaling systems, fire suppression
systems, or any part of a system.
(f) The state fire marshal will issue permits under this section
according to the following classifications:
(1) Class IA: limited to the maintenance and testing of fire alarm
signaling systems and related devices;
(2) Class IB: limited to the installation, maintenance, and testing
of fire alarm signaling systems and related devices;
(3) Class IB-Special: limited to the
installation of fire alarm signaling systems and related devices;
(4) Class IC: limited to the design,
installation, maintenance, and testing of fire alarm signaling systems and
related devices;
(5) Class IC-DO:
limited to the design of fire alarm signaling systems and related
devices;
(6) Class IIA: limited to
the maintenance and testing of fire sprinkler and standpipe systems beginning at
the point the water supply is used exclusively for the fire suppression
system;
(7) Class IIB: limited to the
installation, maintenance, and testing of water fire sprinkler and standpipe
systems beginning at the point the water supply is used exclusively for the fire
suppression system;
(8) Class IIC:
limited to the design, installation, maintenance, and testing of water fire
sprinkler and standpipe systems beginning at the point the water supply is used
exclusively for the fire suppression system;
(9) Class IIC-DO: limited to the design of water fire sprinkler and
standpipe systems beginning at the point the water supply is used exclusively for
the fire suppression system;
(10)
Class IIIA: limited to the maintenance and testing of special hazard
systems;
(11) Class IIIB: limited to
the installation, maintenance, and testing of special hazard systems;
(12) Class IIIC: limited to the design,
installation, maintenance, and testing of special hazard systems;
(13) Class IIIC-DO: limited to the design of
special hazard systems;
(14) Class
IV: limited to the installation, maintenance, and testing of preengineered dry
and wet chemical fire suppression systems for restaurant and commercial hoods,
ducts and associated cooking appliances.
(g) To qualify for a permit under this
section, an applicant
(1) shall submit an
application to the state fire marshal on a form provided by the division of fire
and life safety; the permit will be issued within 10 working days from the date
of submittal of a complete packet; a complete packet consists of the division of
fire and life safety application form and supporting documents; the applicant
will be notified by electronic mail and telephone before 10 working days if more
information is required;
(2) must be
18 years of age or older; and
(3) at
the time of application, must meet the following minimum requirements for the
class of permit for which the applicant has applied:
(A) Class IA: have
(i) not less
than two years cumulative experience in the fire alarm signaling system business;
and
(ii) passed the examination for
NICET II certification elements in fire alarm systems or the
equivalent;
(B) Class IB:
(i) have not less than two years cumulative
experience in the fire alarm signaling systems business;
(ii) be employed in a position of supervisory
responsibility for the installation, maintenance, and testing of fire alarm
signaling systems; and
(iii) have
passed the examination for NICET II certification elements in fire alarm systems
or the equivalent;
(C)
Class IB-Special:
(i) have completed an
approved electrical apprentice program;
(ii) be a current journeyman electrician in this state under
AS
18.60.580 and AS 18.62; and
(iii) not hold a position of supervisory
responsibility;
(D) Class
IC:
(i) have not less than five years
cumulative experience in the fire alarm signaling systems business;
(ii) be employed in a position of supervisory
responsibility for the preparation of technical documents and the installation,
maintenance, and testing of fire alarm signaling systems; and
(iii) have passed the examination for NICET
III certification elements in fire alarm systems or the
equivalent;
(E) Class
IC-DO:
(i) have not less than five years
cumulative experience in the design of fire alarm signaling systems
business;
(ii) be employed in a
position of supervisory responsibility for the design of fire signaling systems;
and
(iii) have passed the examination
for NICET III certification elements in fire alarm systems or the
equivalent;
(F) Class IIA:
(i) have not less than two years cumulative
experience in the water-based fire suppression system business; and
(ii) have passed the examination for NICET II
certification elements in automatic sprinkler systems or the
equivalent;
(G) Class IIB:
(i) have not less than two years cumulative
experience in the water-based fire suppression system business;
(ii) be employed in a position of supervisory
responsibility for the installation, maintenance, and testing of water-based fire
suppression systems; and
(iii) have
passed the examination for NICET II certification elements in inspection and
testing of water based systems or the equivalent;
(H) Class IIC:
(i) have not less than five years cumulative experience in the
water-based fire suppression system business;
(ii) be employed in a position of supervisory responsibility for the
preparation of technical documents and the maintenance and testing of waterbased
fire suppression systems; and
(iii)
have passed the examination for NICET III certification elements in automatic
sprinkler systems or the equivalent;
(I) Class IIC-DO:
(i) have not
less than five years cumulative experience in the design of water-based fire
suppression system business;
(ii) be
employed in a position of supervisory responsibility for the design of sprinkler
systems; and
(iii) have passed the
examination for NICET III certification elements in automatic sprinkler systems
layout or the equivalent;
(J) Class IIIA:
(i) have not less than two years cumulative experience in the
special hazard systems business; and
(ii) have passed the examination for NICET II certification elements
in special hazard systems or the equivalent;
(K) Class IIIB:
(i) have not less than two years cumulative experience in the
special hazard systems business;
(ii)
be employed in a position of supervisory responsibility for the installation,
maintenance, and testing of special hazard systems; and
(iii) have passed the examination for NICET II
certification elements in special hazard systems or the
equivalent;
(L) Class IIIC:
(i) have not less than five years cumulative
experience in the special hazard systems business;
(ii) be employed in a position of supervisory
responsibility for the preparation of technical documents and the maintenance and
testing of special hazard systems; and
(iii) have passed the examination for NICET III certification
elements in special hazard systems or the equivalent;
(M) Class IIIC-DO:
(i) have not less than five years cumulative experience in the
design of special hazard system business;
(ii) be employed in a position of supervisory responsibility for the
design of special hazard systems; and
(iii) have passed the examination for NICET III certification
elements in special hazard systems layout or the equivalent;
(N) Class IV:
(i) have not less than two years cumulative experience in the
kitchen fire suppression system maintenance business;
(ii) have passed the examination for NICET II
or the equivalent, or the International Code Council/National Association of Fire
Equipment Distributors FK Pre-engineered Kitchen Fire Extinguishing System
Technician Certification test;
(iii)
possess at least one manufacturers training certificate; and
(iv) possess the specific system manuals for
the systems to be serviced.
(h) If a company or individual is involved in
the installation, maintenance, or design of a fire suppression system or fire
alarm signaling system and does not possess a required permit, the state fire
marshal may order work stopped by service of an order in writing in accordance
with
13 AAC
50.070.
(i)
The state fire marshal or fire systems permit program manager will provide
written notice to a permit holder at least 10 days before an action to revoke or
suspend a permit. The fire marshal or fire systems permit program manager may
revoke or suspend a permit
(1) if a permit
holder has materially misrepresented that individual's qualifications in
obtaining or renewing the permit or is subject to revocation under
13 AAC
55.100(c);
(2) if a permit holder is found, after an
administrative investigation, to be negligent, incompetent, or to have committed
substantial misconduct in the preparation of technical drawings, or the
installation or maintenance of a system;
(3) based upon documented and repeated violations of 13 AAC 50-13
AAC 55 by a permit holder; or
(4) for
other good cause found by the state fire marshal or fire extinguisher permit
program manager.
(j) An
order of suspension must state the length of the suspension. The period of
suspension may not be less than 30 days and may not exceed one year from the date
of the order;
(k) An order of
revocation must state the length of the revocation. The period of revocation may
not be less than one year and may not exceed two years from the date of the
order.
(l) If the state fire marshal
or the fire systems permit program manager issues an order of suspension or
revocation, the permit holder may, within seven days after receiving the order,
file a written appeal to the state fire marshal. Within 10 days after receiving
the appeal, the state fire marshal will review the order and issue a written
decision. The appeal must be postmarked within seven days following the date of
receipt of the order. The order must be complied with within the time specified
in the order unless the state fire marshal revokes the order. The state fire
marshal's decision on an appeal under this subsection is a final order of the
department for purposes of AS 18.70.100.
(m) In this section,
(1)
"company" means any individual, partnership, firm, group, organization,
corporation, or any other entity that performs or represents itself as qualified
to perform any of the following functions related to a fire alarm signaling
system or fire suppression system, or any portion of a system:
(A) preparation of technical design,
specification development, consultation, evaluation, and project management as it
relates to the permit;
(B)
installation, either in whole or in part;
(C) maintenance; or
(D)
inspection;
(2) "design"
means the preparation of detailed drawings of fire alarm detection, signaling, or
fire suppression systems and the calculations and specifications for those
systems completed in accordance with the requirements of 13 AAC 50-13 AAC 55,
including the direction or performance of fire protection system surveys,
consultation, investigation, evaluation, preparation of technical design
documents, specification development, project management, planning, observation
of construction, and the organizational and economic aspects of these activities
as it relates to the permit;
(3)
"direct oversight and supervision" means that a company must have sufficient
personnel on site with appropriate permits to inspect and certify that work being
performed on systems is in compliance with applicable laws, product listings, and
manufacturer's installation instructions for each phase of installation and at
the functional checkout and commissioning of the system;
(4) "equivalent" means relevant formally
approved experience and training in the design, installation, or maintenance of
fire protection systems; whether that experience and training is substantially
equivalent or more is
(A) determined by the
state fire marshal; and
(B) achieved
primarily through
(i) union apprenticeship
recognized by the division of fire and life safety;
(ii) a college or industry trade programs;
or
(iii) appropriate professional
engineer attainment;
(5) "fire alarm signaling system" means any signaling system that is
either automatically or manually activated to notify persons on or off the
property of a fire condition;
(6)
"fire suppression system" means a system that is either automatic or manual and
designed to protect a process, building, or structure from fire; "fire
suppression system" includes piping, fire mains, standpipes, and thermal systems
connected to the system;
(7)
"installation" means the initial placement of equipment or the extension,
modification, or alteration of a system after the initial placement;
(8) "maintenance" means to repair, service, or
replace a system or a system component when, for any reason, it becomes
undependable or inoperative; "maintenance" includes periodically recurrent
inspections and tests required to keep a system and its component parts in an
operative condition at all times;
(9)
"NICET" means the National Institute for Certification in Engineering
Technologies;
(10) "owner
maintenance" means basic maintenance performed by an owner or the owner's
representative who is capable of performing maintenance in accordance with the
law and nationally recognized standards of good practice; owner maintenance
includes the following nontechnical repairs:
(A) replacing sprinkler heads;
(B) resetting valves;
(C) replacing damaged or missing pipe hangers;
(D) replacing batteries;
(E) replacing indicator lamps;
(F) tightening electrical
connections;
(G) replacing damaged or
inoperative detection or audible devices; or
(H) monthly fire extinguisher inspections as required by the United
States Department of Labor, Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)
or NFPA 10;
(11) "permit" means the document issued under this section by the
state fire marshal to an individual as verification of that individual's
qualifications to design, install, and maintain fire protection systems in
accordance with this section;
(12)
"permit holder" means an individual who has been issued a permit under this
section by the state fire marshal;
(13) "special hazard system" means a system that uses gases,
chemicals, or foam as the fire suppression agent and includes Halon systems,
CO2 systems, wet chemical systems, dry chemical systems,
aqueous film forming foam (AFFF) systems, and protein foam systems;
(14) "system" means a fire alarm signaling
system or fire suppression system;
(15) "water-based fire suppression system" means a system that uses
water as the suppression agent; "water-based fire suppression system" includes
automatic fire sprinkler systems and standpipe systems and water mist
systems.
Notes
Copies of NICET publications are available from the National Institute for Certification in Engineering Technologies, 1420 King Street, Alexandria, Virginia 22314.
Authority: AS 18.70.010
AS 18.70.080
AS 18.70.090
State regulations are updated quarterly; we currently have two versions available. Below is a comparison between our most recent version and the prior quarterly release. More comparison features will be added as we have more versions to compare.
No prior version found.