Office of State Fire Marshal, Fire Sprinkler Technical Policy

Part 1: Licensing

1. The fee for the certification of a "Responsible Managing Supervisor" (RMS) is $300. All initial RMS certifications and renewals will expire on the second June 30th (at midnight) from the time of the issuing of the license, with the following exception: initial licenses issued between April 1st and midnight June 29th inclusive shall expire on the third June 30th from the date of issue. When more than 3 RMS are employed by a company, the fee is $225.00 per RMS for that company.

2. The fee for the license of a "Fire Sprinkler System Contractor" is $300. The Fire Sprinkler System Contractors initial and renewal license(s) will expire on the second June 30th (at midnight) from the time of the issuing of the license, with the following exception: initial licenses issued between April 1st and midnight June 29th inclusive shall expire on the third June 30th from the date of issue.

3. The fee for the registration of a Fire Sprinkler Inspection Technician is $100. When a company employs more than 3 inspectors, the fee is $75.00 per inspector for that company. The Fire Sprinkler Inspector's initial and renewal license(s) will expire on the second June 30th (at midnight) from the time of the issuing of the license with the following exception: initial licenses issued between April 1st and midnight June 29th inclusive shall expire on the third June 30th from the date of issue.

4. In order to be registered as an Inspection Technician, the applicant must provide proof of qualification, such as a National Institute for Certification in Engineering Technologies (N.I.C.E.T.) Level II certification or the successful completion of a nationally recognized standard achieved in the area of fire sprinkler inspection.

5. Renewals: All licenses, certificates and registrations shall be renewed on or before midnight, June 30th, of the appropriate year of expiration. A $100 reinstatement fee will apply to renewing a license that has already expired.

6. In plant industry maintenance, personnel shall not need to be registered as Inspection Technicians.

7. Inspections of public building fire sprinkler systems are to be conducted by a licensed inspector annually. Inspection reports of non-compliance, where the owner is not scheduling correction, are to be submitted to the Office of State Fire Marshal in accordance with National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) Standard # 25. All inspection reports are to include the Inspection Technician registration number. All other inspection reports are to be made available to the Office of State Fire Marshal upon request.

8. Certified Responsible Managing Supervisors are not required to register as Inspection Technicians, but must apply if they want an Inspection Technician license number.

9. A Responsible Managing Supervisor does not have to pay for a Contractor’s license if the Contractor’s license name is the same as the name of the Responsible Managing Supervisor, (as opposed to a company or business name).

Part 2: Design Requirements

1. A cushion of 5 p.s.i. is required on fire sprinkler hydraulic calculations. This cushion may be waived in whole or in part by the Office of State Fire Marshal in unusual circumstances, such as in determining whether or not a fire pump will be required. The 5 p.s.i. cushion is not required on national Fire protection Association Standard (NFPA) # 13D fire sprinkler systems.

2. Hydrant flow tests for fire sprinkler system design shall be not greater than 5 years old. The authority having jurisdiction may require a current test when deemed necessary. Until current water data is available, an extra 1 p.s.i. of cushion is required for every year that the test data is greater than 5 years old. [For example, water data that is 9 years old will require a 9 p.s.i. safety margin]. This does not apply to NFPA Standard # 13D fire sprinkler systems. Exceptions may be granted by the Office of State Fire Marshal.

3. A maximum 65 p.s.i. automatic will be required on all automatic wet standpipes in accordance with NFPA Standard # 14.

4. Standpipes not required by NFPA Standard #101 may be manual dry or manual wet subject to approval by the local fire department.

5. Fire sprinkler systems required by any internationally or nationally recognized building code, or required by any local ordinance or required by any insurance company must be approved by the Office of State Fire Marshal and shall meet National Fire Protection Association Standards #13, #13R, #13D, Maine Life Safety System or Hydro-Pro System criteria.

6. Prior to construction of any new fire sprinkler system over 6 heads or any addition to an existing fire sprinkler system of more than 20 heads, a fire sprinkler permit shall be required in accordance with 32 M.R.S.A. sub-section 1371-1382. [Relocated heads shall count toward the 20 heads, but the replacement of existing heads without a change in pipe length shall not.]

7. Non-combustible/limited-combustible spaces having 15 or more combustible electrical cables grouped together such as in cable trays, shall be fully sprinklered in the area of the cables in NFPA Standard #13 fire sprinkler systems. Plenum-rated and riser-rated telecommunication cables however are considered to be limited combustible/fire resistive according to standards established by NFPA Standard #70 and therefore do not trigger this fire sprinkler requirement.

8. All industrial hose stations shall be required to be reduced to 100 p.s.i..

9. Fire pumps and standpipes shall be considered part of the sprinkler system and subject to review and permitting.

10. All dry pipe systems shall have a low-air alarm in addition to a low-air switch for the compressor.

11. Operating freezers shall not require fire sprinkler protection if they are not used or intended to be used with fork lifts and the storage does not exceed 8’ in height, and the door(s) are all self-closing, positive-latching and the rooms do not exceed 800 square feet.

12. Exterior canopies shall not require fire sprinkler coverage if they are less than 4’ wide and are constructed of non-combustible/ limited-combustible material, regardless of the use beneath them.

13. With prior approval of the Office of State Fire Marshal, canopies that meet an exception in the currently-adopted edition of NFPA Standard #13 for not requiring fire sprinkler protection beneath them may not require fire sprinkler protection within them, (even if the interior construction contains combustible material).

14. Fire sprinkler heads in elevator shafts shall have a shut-off outside of the shaft, arranged in such a way so that servicing of the head in the shaft will have a minimum amount of water to drain in the shaft.

15.Fire sprinkler heads in elevator machine rooms shall have a shut-off outside of the machine room, arranged in such a way so that servicing of the head in the machine room will have a minimum amount of water to drain into the room.

16.The shut-off for the elevator shaft head and the elevator machine room can be the same control valve, but if there is a head at the top of the shaft and one in the elevator pit, then they shall have separate shut-offs.

17. Hose connections on stages are to be on the audience side of the proscenium curtain. Exceptions may be granted by the Office of State Fire Marshal.

18. The type and location of the fire department connection and of the standpipe connection are subject to the local fire department.

19. Vital records storage vaults less than 5,000 square feet in area and for no more than brief occupancy may have smoke detection/heat detection within, plus a fire extinguisher in the near proximity, in place of fire sprinkler coverage within. For this exception to apply, the rooom must be either 2-hour fire rated or be of non-combustible construction, or the exposed interior surface must be of non-combustible construction; and the smoke/heat detection must be alarmed to a constantly-attended location, and the door to the vault must be closed and locked whenever there is no occupancy.

20. The Maine Life Safety standard shall not require fire sprinkler coverage of bathrooms that are less than 55 sq ft in area.

21. Hydro-Pro standard shall not require fire sprinkler coverage of freezers or of elevator shafts or any exceptions mentioned in NFPA 13R, that are not specifically mentioned in the Hydro-Pro standard.

22. Bladder tanks shall not be required for Hydro-Pro systems.

23. Fire sprinkler heads shall be used within their listings in both the Maine Life Safety and the Hydro-Pro standards. Special exceptions may be granted by the Office of State Fire Marshal.

24. Low-water alarms or automatic fills are required for stored water sources in all life-safety fire sprinkler standards other than NFPA Standard #13D systems.

25. Pump power monitoring is required in all life-safety fire sprinkler standards other than NFPA Standard #13D systems.

26. Fire pumps used in the Maine Life Safety standard and the Hydro-Pro standards are not required to be listed for fire service. Fire pumps that are less than 7.5 horsepower are not required to be listed for fire service in NFPA Standard #13R systems.

27. The required water volumes for fire sprinkler systems may be altered depending upon the occupancy type, occupant load, construction type, building height and other related factors. Prior approval must be granted by the Office of the State Fire Marshal.

[Last updated 5-22-09 and previously updated 12-27-07. Changes are mostly rewording to say the same thing in a better way, and also additional wording to add clarity. The significant changes include: 1. Update of NFPA Standards 22 & 25 to current additions, 2. Allowing new licensees who apply during April, May & June to have the same expiration date as existing licensees who renew online during that same time period, 3. Eliminating a "Reserved" item in Part 2, causing subsequent items to be renumbered, 4. In Part 2, adding item 19 and expanding the exception in item 26.]

This Technical Policy also establishes Sprinkler Procedures and Fees for Certification, Licensing, and Registration.

Bureau Information

Office of State Fire Marshal, Fire Sprinkler Technical Policy