Fire Code of the Philippines RA 9514

• The RA 9514 Fire Code of the Philippines provides building requirements for residential, commercial, and industrial structures
• The code encompasses fire suppression, safety storage, emergency preparedness, handling of hazardous materials, and building design/maintenance

Rule 1: Interpretation

• Public safety and economic development is ensured via fire prevention and suppression
• Fire Service professionalization is pursued
• The State enforces laws for standard fire prevention and accountability in fire protection services

Rule 2: Coverage

• IRR covers all natural or juridical persons
• Applies to all buildings, facilities, and structures erected before and after the law's effectivity
• Includes the design/installation of fire protection-related mechanical, electronic, and electrical systems
• Covers manufacturing, storage, handling, transportation of explosives/flammable materials, and their wastes
• Includes fire safety planning, design, construction, maintenance, rehabilitation, and demolition
• Applies to fire protective and warning equipment/systems
• Covers land transportation vehicles, ships/vessels
• Includes petroleum industry installations

Rule 3: Definition of Terms

• Automated Fire Suppression System (AF SS): Integrated underground/overhead piping connected to an extinguishing agent source
• Building Administrator: An authorized agent/representative of the building owner
• City/Municipal Fire Marshal (C/MFM): Head of the City/Municipal Fire Station, including officers designated as "Officer in Charge" or "Acting"
• Damper: A device in HVAC ducts that prevents fire/smoke spread by automatically closing upon detection of heat/smoke, and can be controlled from a remote command station
• Exit: A portion of the means of egress separated from other building spaces via construction, location, or equipment to provide protected travel to the exit discharge
• Exit Access: The portion of means of egress that leads to an exit
• Exit Discharge: The portion of means of egress between the termination of an exit and a public way
• Fire Alarm: A visual/audible signal that warns occupants of fire
• Fire Alerting System: A system activated by fire that transmits a signal to designated locations instead of sounding a general alarm
• Fire Lane: A roadway/public way that is kept open for firefighting operations
• Fire Trap: A building that is unsafe due to being easily burned or lacking adequate exits/fire escapes
• Hose Box: A box/cabinet storing fire hoses, valves, and other firefighting equipment

Fire Safety Enforcers (Rule 8)

• Applies to the qualifications of fire safety enforcers

Fire Safety Inspectors (Section 8.1.1.1)

• Uniformed Personnel:
  • Licensed engineers (Civil, Electrical, Mechanical, Chemical, Sanitary, Electronics) with at least 1 year in the BFP service
  • Architects with at least 1 year in the BFP service
  • Graduates of a baccalaureate degree with at least 3 years in BFP service
• Non-Uniformed Personnel:
  • Appointed engineers with at least 1 year in the BFP service
  • Must undergo fire safety enforcement training

Plan Evaluators (Section 8.1.1.2)

• Must be licensed architects or engineers who have completed prescribed training
• Graduates of a baccalaureate degree with fire safety training can be designated as plan evaluators if there is no licensed architect or engineer in the area

Chief, Fire Safety Enforcement Section/Unit (FSES/U) (Section 8.1.1.3)

• Must hold rank commensurate with the position required by the BFP, be a licensed engineer/architect with 3 years in the BFP, and complete prescribed fire safety training
• If a lower-ranked personnel is assigned as Chief, FSES/U, they must be a licensed engineer/architect or a baccalaureate degree graduate with 5 years in the BFP
• Non-Uniformed Personnel (NUP) can be designated as Chief, FSES/U if occupying an Engineer IV position and has undergone fire safety training

Functions of Fire Safety Enforcers (Chapter 2)

• Divided into the responsibilities of designated fire safety enforcers

Fire Safety Inspectors (Section 8.2.1.1)

• Duties include:
  • Inspecting buildings, structures, or facilities
  • Assessing compliance with fire safety requirements
  • Testifying in judicial/quasi-judicial bodies
  • Conducting fire safety lectures, seminars/workshops, and drills
  • Preparing necessary documents and maintaining records

Plan Evaluators (Section 8.2.1.2)

• Duties include:
  • Reviewing and evaluating building plans and specifications, including fire protection systems
  • Conducting site verification and inspection

Chief, Fire Safety Enforcement Section/Unit (FSES/U) (Section 8.2.1.3)

• Review and evaluate reports from Fire Safety Enforcers and recommend approval to the concerned C/MFM

Enforcement and Administration of Fire Safety Measures

• Include inspection of all buildings, structures, facilities, and premises
• Fire safety inspection is a prerequisite for permits/licenses
• The C/MFM reviews, evaluates, and assesses plans

Rule 10: Fire Safety Measures

• Covers safety measures for buildings, structures, facilities, hazardous materials/wastes/operations, and other conditions that pose a threat/danger

General Requirements (Division 2)

• Every building/structure designed for human occupancy must have exits
• Exit design must ensure safety without relying on a single fire safety construction
• Buildings/structures must be designed/constructed/maintained to avoid danger and ensure occupant safety
• Exits must be appropriate for the building's characteristics
• Every exit must be unobstructed, with no locks preventing escape

Means of Egress

• Every exit shall be clearly visible and marked to a safe place outside
• All means of egress must have adequate lighting
• Buildings/structures must have fire alarms for adequate warning to occupants

Classification of Occupancy (Division 3)

• Buildings are classified based on their use
• Assembly: Used for gathering 50+ people for deliberation, worship, entertainment, eating, drinking, or similar
• Educational: Used for gathering groups of 6+ people for instruction
• Healthcare: Used for medical care where occupants are incapable of self-preservation due to age, disability, or security measures
• Detention and Correctional: Used to house persons under restraint and incapable of self-preservation

Means of Egress (Division 5)

• Compliance must be maintained in both new and existing buildings, sometimes modified for individual occupancies
• Reducing the means of egress is prohibited
• It is a continuous and unobstructed route from a facility to a public way

General Provisions (Section 10.2.5.2)

• An exit contains approved components, described, regulated and limited as to use
• Permissible exit components: doors, stairs with smoke proof enclosures, outside stairs, horizontal exits, ramps, exit passageway, fire escape stairs/ladders/slides
• Exit components are an integral part of the building and are permanently affixed

Means of Egress

• Consists of three separate distinct parts
  • Exit Access: leads to an entrance to an exit
  • Exit: separated space from other the rest of the building
  • Exit Discharge: the egress between leaving the exit and a public way

Features of Fire Protection (Division 6)

• Any opening on separation wall/construction must be protected by an approved self-closing fire resistive door
• Exits cannot be used other than for an egress
• The width of any egress must not be below 915mm
• No. of egress should is no less than two
  • On a Balcony
  • Mezzanine
  • Storey
  • Portion

Means of Egress (Division 5)

• Access to Exits: The door from a room to exit should be the side-hinged swinging type, swinging with exit travel
• Discharge from exits Terminate directly to public exit, yards, courts, open space
• Stairs should be arranged to make the direction of egress clear and must be interrupted by doors, partitions or effective means
• Headroom must be no less than 2 meters
• Doors in a means of egress are side hinged or pivoted-swinging type
• Locks, Latches, Alarm Devices: Must have a Knob, handle, panic bar or releasing device to be operated regardless of darkness
• Doors designed to remain closed must have a self-closing mechanism and be indicated
• Swing and Force to Open:
  • Doors must leave 1/2 of required width of an aisle unobstructed and shouldn't exceed 178mm into the aisle
  • Force needed to open shouldn't be more than 7kg

Smokeproof Enclosures

• Must be enclosed within a barrier of 2-hour fire resistance
• If a vestibule is used, this is within the enclosure

Discharge

• Every smokeproof enclosure should discharge into the public or a yard with direct access

Outside stairs

• Any permanently installed stair outside is acceptable as a means of egress