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Sandy!Springs!Fire!Rescue!–!Fire!Marshal’s!Office!!7840!Roswell!Rd.!Bldg.!500!!Sandy!Springs,!GA!30350!!!!!770-206-4358!
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FACT!SHEET!for!Fire!Safety!Inspections!!
of!Multifamily!Rental!Housing!
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There!are!approximately!80!multifamily!rental!housing!(MRH)!complex es!in!Sandy !S p rin gs .!T h es e!a re !
typically!apartment!complexes.!They!are!home!to!thousands!of!p eo ple.!In!December!20 1 6 ,!the!Sandy!
Springs!City!Council!passed!Ordinance!No.!2016-12-37!to!improve!fire!safety!in!MRH’s.!!This!was!in!
response!to!fire!d ep artm e nt!co nc ern s!arising !from !nu m e rou s!MRH!fires!that!resulted!in!serious!injuries,!
extensive!property!damage!and!displacement!of!hundreds!of!residents.!!Fortunately!no!lives!were!lo st !in !
those!fires.!!The!new !o rdina nc e!expands!on!existing!requirements!and!adds!several!new!ones.!!The!goal!
is!to!help!reduce!life-th rea ten ing!fires!fro m !occu rring .!
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Each!MRH!complex!is!requir ed !to !o p e ra te !u nd e r!a !cit y!b u s ine s s!lic en s e .!!In!o rd e r!t o!o b t ain ! a!business!
license,!co m plexes!must!subm it!to!an!annual!inspection!of!their!property!for!health!and!safety!code!
compliance.!!There!are!actually!two!inspections!involved.!!One!is!performed!by!the!City!of!Sandy!Springs!
Code!Enforcement!division!and!the!other!by!the!Fire!Marshal’s!Office!(FMO).!!MR H ’s!must!succ e ssfu lly !
pass!both!of!these!inspections!in!ord er!to !be!eligible!for!their!annual!business!license.!
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This!fact!sheet!is!intended!to!answer!questions!and!to!provide!guidance!to!property!owners!and!
managers!of!MRH!properties.!!Many!of!the!items!are!exis tin g !re q uir ements!b u t!se v er al!n e w !it ems!have !
been!added.!!This!fact!sheet!will!focus!on!the!sixte en !(16)!fire!sa fety!items!that!will!be!checked!for!
compliance.!!(There!are !sixtee n !othe r!in sp e c tio n !ite ms!that!fa ll!un d e r!th e !scop e!of!Code!Enforcement!
for!complian ce !and !en forc em e nt. ! Th ey!will!perform!a!separate!inspection!for!their!items.)!
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Who!is!responsible!for!fire!safety!in!MRH’s?!!The!overall!responsibility!for!fire!safety!in!MR H ’s!is!the!
property!owner(s)!and/or!their!property!manager(s).!!It!is!th e ir !re sp o n s ib ility !to !a rr an g e !fo r ,!sch e d u le ,!
hire!third-party!service!providers!and!obtain,!main ta in !a nd!provide!documentation!of!correctness!
and/or!completion!of!various!fire!safety!items.!!!
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Who!conducts!the!fire!inspection?!!Fire!Inspectors!from!the!Sandy!Springs!Fire!Rescue!-!Fire!Marshal’s!
Office!will!conduct!the!fire!department!annual!inspection.!They!will!inspect!the!common!areas!of!the!
complex!and!will!collect!the!documentation!for!other!inspection!tasks!coordinated!or!performed!by!a!
Certified!Building!Inspector!(CBI)!and!by!the!state!licensed!service!providers.!
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Who!qualifies!as!a!certified!building!inspector!(CBI)?!!The!ordinance!says!this:!!“CBI!means!any!person!
inspectin g !fo r!c o m p lia n ce !w it h !th e !va rio u s!a d o p te d!c o d es !w h o !is !a!lic e ns e d !de s ign !p ro fe s sio n a l!
(architect!or!engin ee r)!or!ho lds !on e!of!th e!follo w ing !cer tifica tions !from !the !Intern ation al!Co de !Co un cil!
(ICC):!property!m a inte na nce !an d!h ou sing !insp ec tor,!bu ildin g!insp ec tor,!bu ildin g!pla n!ex am in er!o r!
commercial!combination!inspector.”!!
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How!can!I!locate!a!CBI?!!!Contact!the!City!of!Sandy!Springs!Code!Enforcement!Division!at!770-730-5600.!!
(A!list!of!CBI’s!will!be!posted!soon!on!the!City’s!website.)!
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Sandy!Springs!Fire!Rescue!–!Fire!Marshal’s!Office!!7840!Roswell!Rd.!Bldg.!500!!Sandy!Springs,!GA!30350!!!!!770-206-4358!
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When!will!the!annual!fire!inspection!be!conducted?!!The!FMO!plans!to!conduct!MRH!inspections!in!
March!and!April!of!each!year.!!It!is!highly!r e co mmen d e d !th a t!t h e!p r o p e rty !manage r!a n d !th e ir !C BI!
contact!the!FMO!to!schedule!an!inspec tio n !d a te !an d !time!so!th a t!th e y!b o th !may!be!present!during!the!
inspection.!
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Who!performs!the!various!inspection!items?!!The!property!owner(s)!and/or!property!manage r(s)!w ill!
need!to!obtain!the!services!of!a!CBI!to!oversee,!conduct!and!coordinate!most!of!the!inspection !tasks.!!
The!CBI!may,!at!their!discretion,!delegate!work!under!th e ir!li ce n s u r e !to !o t h e r!c o mpete n t!p e r sons.!!This!
may!include!property!maintenance!staff!of!the!complex!or!management!company!that!have!been!
trained!and!are !com p ete nt!in!p erfo rm ing!specific!tasks!assigned!by!the!CBI.!
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What!are!the!inspection!ite ms!(*!if!applica ble )!and!who!ins p e ct s!/ !p e rf o rms!them ? !
• Controlled!access!gates!(Knox!products)!–!Fire!Department!
• Attic!inspection!(for!firewall!or!dra ft!stop !integ rity )!–!CBI!or!designee!
• *Fire!alarm!system!(not!tenant!unit!smoke!alarms)!–!State!licensed!alarm!business**!
• Smoke!alarms!inside!individu a l!tenant!units!–!CBI!or!designee!
• Fire!department!safety!information!–!provided!by!Property!Management!!
• Fire!extinguishers!(annual!servicing)!–!State!licensed!fire!extinguisher!business**!
o F.E.’s!in!common!areas!–!Fire!Department!
o F.E.’s!in!occupant!units!–!CBI!or!designee!
• Complex,!building!and!unit!addressing!–!Fire!Department!
• Means!of!egress!pathways!(common!areas)!–!Fire!Department!
• *Fire!sprinkler!system!–!State!licensed!fire!sprinkler!business**!
• On-site!“private”!fire!hydrants!–!Certified!private!fire!hydrant!contractor**!
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(**!These!b us ines ses!will!provide!bo th !th e !C B I!an d!the!prop erty!m a na ger!w ith!a!w ritten !repo rt!
with!the!results!of!their!specific!inspections.!!If !an y !o f!th e ir!w rit te n !re po r ts!in d ic at e!it e m s !n o t!in !
compliance!or!in!need!of!repair!these!items!MUST!be!m ad e!co m p liant!in!ord er!to!pass!the!
inspectio n .!!It!is !h ig hly !re co mmen d ed !to !h a ve !th e s e!s e rvic es !in sp e ct !th e ir!ite ms!a!cou ple !months !
before!the!fire!departmen t!insp ectio n.)!
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NOTE:!The!fire!sprin kler!sy stems!in!any!and !all!sprinkler!equipped!buildings!MUST!be!“green !tagged”!to!
pass!inspection.!!(Some!complexes!may!only!have!a!couple!buildings!with!fire!sprinklers.!Those!buildings!
had!to!be!re-built!with!fire!sprinkler!systems!after!suffering!a!major!fire).!!A!past!practice!has!been!for!
some!fire!sprinkler!businesses!to!“yellow!tag”!a!system!for!certain!minor!impairmen ts !co n s id ere d !n o n -
critical.!!This!is!NOT!acceptable.!!A!com plex!will!not!pass!inspection!if!yellow!tags !a re!e n c ou n t ere d .!!All!
fire!sprinkler!system s !M U ST !hav e!been!inspected!within!the!past!year!and!have!a!green!tag!on!the!riser.!
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Who!qualifies!as!a!certified!private!fire!hydrant!contractor?!!A!contractor!is!qualified!to!perform!
testing,!inspection!o r!ma inte na nce !of!priva te!fire!hy dra nts!w h o!po sse sses!a !curre nt!State!of!Georgia!
issued!p lu m b e rs !lice n se ,!u tility !c on t ra cto r’s !lice n se !o r!a !fire !p ro te ct io n !sp rin k ler!c o n tra ct o r!lice n se .!!
Private!fire!hydrant!contractors!shall!adhere!to!the!provisions!of!current!editions!of!NFPA!24!-!“Standard!
for!the!Installation!o f!Priv ate!Fire!Service!Mains!and!their!Appurtenances”!and!American!Water!Works!
Association!M-17!–!“Installation,!Field!Testing!and!Maintenance!of!Fire!Hydrants.”!
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What!documentation!is!required?!!Property!owners!and!managers!must!provide!written!documentation!
certifying!that!specific!inspection!tasks!h ave !bee n!co m p leted .!!The!state!licensed!services!(alarm!system,!
fire!sprinklers,!fire!extingu ish ers!a nd !fire!hyd ran ts)! sha ll!provide!ins pe ction !rep orts.!!Th eir!rep orts! sh all!
also!include!any!field!note s!documenting !an y!issues!or!problems!and!action!taken!to!correct!the!
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Sandy!Springs!Fire!Rescue!–!Fire!Marshal’s!Office!!7840!Roswell!Rd.!Bldg.!500!!Sandy!Springs,!GA!30350!!!!!770-206-4358!
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problem.!If!the!CBI!or !st at e !lice n se d !s er vic e s!fin d !p r o b le m s,!then!those!ne ed !to!be !corre cted !as!so on !as!
possible,!preferably!before!scheduling!the!fire!department!annual!inspection.!!!
The!CBI!will!prepare!an!inspection!report!and!submit!a!“code!compliance!certificate”!to!the!Code!
Enforcement!Division!along!with!a!copy!to!the!Fire!Marshal’s!Office.!!That!report!and!copies!of!the!state!
licensed !se rv ice s!reports!shall!be!provided!to!the!fire!inspector!at!the!time!of!the!annual!inspection.!!
This!may!be!either!by!hard-copies!“in!person”,!or,!they!may!be!submitted!as!.pdf!attachments!subm itted!
by!email!to!fireinspections@san dy sprin gs ga .gov .!!M a ke !su re !th e!e m a il!co n ta in s!th e!n a m e !o f!th e!
complex,!address,!name!of!person!submitting!the!documents!and!a!contact!phone!nu mb er.!
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What!about!documenting!attic!fire!barriers?!!The!fire!department!also!encourages!the!use!of!properly!
identified !d ig ita l!p ho t os !by!the!CBI!to!document!the !con d ition!of!attic!firewalls!/!draft!stops.!!The!
conditions!to!be!noted!are:!present!and!functional,!present!but!damaged,!or!non e !present.!!These!
conditions!need!to!be!noted !to!help!baseline!fire!separation!in!MRH!buildings!with!common!attics.!
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How!long!does!the!fire!department!annual!inspec tio n !take?!!That!will!depend!on!the!size!of!the!MRH!
property,!number!of!buildings,!layout,!number!of!stories,!amount!of!common!area,!etc.!!Inspections!
could!take!as!little!as!a!couple!of!hours!to!all!day.!
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What!areas!and!items!will!be!inspected!by!the!fire!department?!!All!common!areas!(fire!lanes,!common!
corridors!or!breezeways,!leasing!office,!community!rooms,!recreation!areas,!complex!storage!areas,!
outside!areas!around!buildings,!etc.).!The!fire!inspector!will!be!inspecting !th e !fo llo w in g :!street!address!
(for!the!com plex)!and!sub-addresses!(for!buildings!and!units),!Knox!key!switch!for!power!operated!gates,!
Knox!boxes!or!padlocks,!fire!lane !n o!parkin g !s ignage!and/or!ma rking,!fire!lane!widths!and!turnarounds,!
illegal!park in g,!o b s tru ct ed !f ire!h y d ra nt s,!ille g al!B B Q ’s !o n !de c ks !o r!b alc o n ies !a nd !h a za rd o u s!
accumulations!of!combustibles.!Any!other!fire!hazards!or!unsafe!conditions!will!also!be!noted.!
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What!if!the!MRH!buildings!in!a!comple x !have!an!automatic!fire!sprinkler!system?!!Complexes!where!
the!buildings!hav e!fire!sprin kler!pro tec tion !throu gh ou t!are!exempt!from!these!additional!requirements:!!!
• Do!not!have!to!install!fire!extinguishers!inside!all!occupant!units,!however,!fir e !e xt in g u is h e rs !a re !
still!required!in!common!areas!including!corridors!and/or!breezew ays!!
• Do!not!have!to!install!automatic!fire!suppression!devices!over!cooking!appliances!
• Do!not!have!to!apply!intumescent!paint!to!any!bare!structural!wood!surfaces!
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What!if!the!MRH!buildin gs!do!not!have!an!automatic!fire!sprinkler!system?!!Complexes!where!
buildings!do!not!have!automatic!fire!sprinkler!protection! must!comply!and!implement!these!additional!
requireme nts!by!the!stated!dates:!!!
• install!fire!extinguishers!inside!all!occupant!units!by!Nov.-15,-2017!
• install!automatic!fire!suppression!devices!over!cooking!appliances!by!Nov.-15,-2018!
• apply!intumescent!paint!to!any!bare!structural!wood!surfaces!by!Nov.-15,-2023!
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NOTE:!!When!automatic!fire!suppression!devices!are!required!to!be!installed!(11-15-2018)!or!when!
intume s ce n t!p a int !is!re q u ire d !(1 1 - 15-2023)!the!CBI!shall!be!responsible!for!inspecting!those!items.!
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What!are!the!benefits!of!intumes c en t !p a in t?!!This!special!paint!covers!bare!wood!and!acts!as!a!barrier!
which!delays!wood!from!catching!fire.!!This!significantly!slows!a!fire’s!spread!and!allows!time!for!
firefighters!to!conta in!a nd !con trol!a!fire!to !a!sm a ll!area.!!Though!somewhat!costly!initially,!the!paint!is!
far!less!expensiv e!tha n! retro active ly!ins ta lling !a n !au t o m a tic !fire !sp r ink le r!sy st em.!!It!does!not!require!
recurrent!ann ua l!testing !as!do !fire!sprin kler!syste m s!an d!won’t!freeze!which!can!cause!water!damage.!!
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Sandy!Springs!Fire!Rescue!–!Fire!Marshal’s!Office!!7840!Roswell!Rd.!Bldg.!500!!Sandy!Springs,!GA!30350!!!!!770-206-4358!
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What!about!the!smoke!alarms!inside!the!tenant!units?!!These!devices!are!the!responsibility!of!the!CBI!
to!inspect,!tes t!and!service.!!The!initial!inspection!(for!the!1
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!time)!shall!includ e !do c u m e n ta tio n ! (in!a!
spread!sheet!format)!of!the!unit!number,!number!of!alarms!in!the!un it ,!w h et h er !th ey !a re !ha rd-wired!
with!battery!backup!or!just!battery!powered,!the!brand,!model!number,!manufacture!date!(found!on!
the!back!of!them),!whet h e r!t h e y !a re !working !o r !n o t!and!an!affirmation!that!new!batteries!have!been!
installed.!E a c h!sm o ke!alarm!shall!then!be!re-tested!to!assure!it!is!functioning !prop erly.!!
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If!any!of!the!smo ke !a la rms!are!found!to!be!more!than!ten!(10)!years!old!from!their!date!of!manufacture,!
it!shall!be!replaced!with!a!new!smoke!alarm!with!fresh!batteries.!!This!shall!be!noted!in!the!
documentation.!!!
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All!smoke!alarms!shall!have!fresh!alkaline!batteries!installed!annually.!!The!da te !of!b a tte ry!in sta lla tio n !
shall!be!written!on-the-battery!using!a!perm a n e nt !marker!pe n ,!to !be!verified!by!the!CBI!or!their!
designee.!!If!long-life!smoke!alarms!are!installed!using!a!ten-year!life!lithium!battery,!that!needs!to!be!
noted!and!documented!with!photos.!!Such!smoke!alarms!shall!be!exempt!from!annual!battery!
replaceme nt!b ut!w ill!still!require !ann ua l!testing! an d!documentation!to!ensure !they !are!fu nctio nin g!
properly.!!!
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What!happens!if!there!are!violations!or!items!of!correction!needed?!!Any!items!which!are!not!in!
compliance!or!properly!documented!to !be!in!co m plian ce !must!be!corrected!within!30!days.!!A!re-
inspection!will!be!scheduled!by!the!FMO.!!All!items!mus t!b e!c ompleted !an d !corrected!to!pa ss!the !
inspectio n .!Failure!to!comply!may!result!in!citations,!court!appearances,!fines!and!suspension!or!loss!of!
the!comple x’s!business!license.!
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We!recognize!that!in!some!cases!there!may!be!extenuating!circumstances!for!items!that!may!require!
additional!time!to!order,!install,!repair!or!otherwise!complete.!!If!an!owner!or!property!manager!feels!
they!have!suc h!a!situa tion !they !nee d!to !promptly!submit!a!written!request!(via!USPS!or!email)!to!the!Fire!
Marshal!Office!(contact!info!below)!stating!the!circumstances!and!reasons!for!requestin g!an !exte nsio n .!!!
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NOTE:!Any!severe!or!life!threatening!hazards!discovered!will!require!immedia te!co rrectio n!e fforts.!!!
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Summary:!!As!we!start!this!impro v ed!fire!safety!insp e ct ion !p ro g ra m!we!rea lize !th e re !w ill!b e !qu e s tio n s .!!
For!assistance!please!contact!the!Fire!Marshal’s!Office!by!calling!the!FMO!Help!Line!at!770-206-4358!or!
by!email!at!fireinspections@ sa nd ys prin gsg a.g ov .!!A!FM O!team!mem ber!will!contact!you!to!help!answer!
your!question(s)!at!their!earliest!opportunity.!!!
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Thank!you!in!advance!for!your!cooperation,!
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Doug Brown
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Douglas!Brown!
Division!Chief!/!Fire!Marshal!!
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FMO!Contact!Info!-!!!Help!Line:!770-206-4358!!!Email:!!fireinspections@sandysp ringsg a.g ov!!
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Revised:!February!22,!2017!
