Title 13 . Public Safety

Chapter 50 . General Provisions for 13 AAC 50 - 13 AAC 55

Section 35. Permit required

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. Notwithstanding the requirements of this subsection, owner maintenance may be performed without a permit; and 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 provided that the final acceptance test and certification of the system is conducted by a qualified person who holds a valid permit under (g)(2) or (g)(3) of this section.

(b) Repealed 8/31/96.

(c) 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.

(d) A permit issued under this section expires two years from 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 state fire marshal on forms provided by the marshal.

(e) A company must employ at least one permit holder who holds a permit in the classifications specified in (f) 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.

(f) A permit holder may, within the scope of the permit holder's permit classification as defined in (g) 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.

(g) The state fire marshal will issue permits under this section according to the following classifications:

(1) Class I-A: limited to the maintenance and testing of fire alarm signaling systems and related devices;

(2) Class I-B: limited to the installation, maintenance, and testing of fire alarm signaling systems and related devices;

(3) Class I-C: limited to the design, installation, maintenance, and testing of fire alarm signaling systems and related devices;

(4) Class II-A: 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;

(5) Class II-B: 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;

(6) Class II-C: 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;

(7) Class III-A: limited to the maintenance and testing of special hazard systems;

(8) Class III-B: limited to the installation, maintenance, and testing of special hazard systems;

(9) Class III-C: limited to the design, installation, maintenance, and testing of special hazard systems; and

(10) Class IV: limited to the installation, maintenance, and testing of pre-engineered dry and wet chemical fire suppression systems.

(h) 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 marshal;

(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 I-A: have not less than two years cumulative experience in the fire alarm signaling system business and have passed the examination for NICET II certification elements in fire alarm systems or the equivalent;

(B) Class I-B: have not less than two years cumulative experience in the fire alarm signaling systems business, be employed in a position of supervisory responsibility for the installation, maintenance, and testing of fire alarm signaling systems, and have passed the examination for NICET II certification elements in fire alarm systems or the equivalent;

(C) Class I-C: have not less than five years cumulative experience in the fire alarm signaling systems business, 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 have passed the examination for NICET III certification elements in fire alarm systems or the equivalent;

(D) Class II-A: have not less than two years cumulative experience in the water based fire suppression system business and have passed the examination for NICET II certification elements in automatic sprinkler systems or the equivalent;

(E) Class II-B: have not less than two years cumulative experience in the water based fire suppression system business, be employed in a position of supervisory responsibility for the installation, maintenance, and testing of water based fire suppression systems, and have passed the examination for NICET II certification elements in automatic sprinkler systems or the equivalent;

(F) Class II-C: have not less than five years cumulative experience in the water based fire suppression system business, be employed in a position of supervisory responsibility for the preparation of technical documents and the maintenance and testing of water based fire suppression systems, and have passed the examination for NICET III certification elements in automatic sprinkler systems or the equivalent;

(G) Class III-A: have not less than two years cumulative experience in the special hazard systems business and have passed the examination for NICET II certification elements in special hazard systems or the equivalent;

(H) Class III-B: have not less than two years cumulative experience in the special hazard systems business, be employed in a position of supervisory responsibility for the installation, maintenance, and testing of special hazard systems, and have passed the examination for NICET II certification elements in special hazard systems or the equivalent;

(I) Class III-C: have not less than five years cumulative experience in the special hazard systems business, be employed in a position of supervisory responsibility for the preparation of technical documents and the maintenance and testing of special hazard systems and have passed the examination for NICET III certification elements in special hazard systems or the equivalent;

(J) 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 special hazard elements 21109, 22102, 22103, 23104, 23106, 23107, and 23115 or the equivalent;

(iii) possess at least one manufacturers training certificate; and

(iv) possess the specific system manuals for the systems to be serviced.

(i) An individual may continue to perform work within the scope of this section without a permit if that individual can document performing work within the scope of a permit that is requested before 6/10/93. In these situations, the state fire marshal will issue a temporary work card upon verification of a completed application and work history. The state fire marshal will, in the marshal's discretion, grant a single extension of six months to allow an applicant to comply with the permit requirements of this section. Unless an extension has been granted, on or before 8/31/99 an individual performing work within the scope of this section must be in full compliance with the requirements of this section. Notwithstanding the requirements of this subsection an individual applying for a Class II-B or III-B permit must only document performing work within the scope of these permits as of 8/31/96 to receive a temporary work card.

(j) 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 will, in the marshal's discretion, order work stopped by service of an order in writing in accordance with 13 AAC 50.070.

(k) The state fire marshal will provide written notice to a permit holder at least 10 days before an action to revoke or suspend a permit. The fire marshal will, in the marshal's discretion, 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 repetitious violations of 13 AAC 50 - 13 AAC 55 by a permit holder;

(4) other good cause found by the state fire marshal.

( l ) 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.

(m) 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.

(n) Unless the context indicates otherwise, 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 documents;

(B) installation, either in whole or in part;

(C) maintenance; or

(D) inspection.

(2) "design" means the preparation of detailed drawings of a fire alarm signaling system or fire suppression system and the calculations and specifications for those systems completed in accordance with the requirements of 13 AAC 50 - 13 AAC 55;

(3) "direct oversight and supervision" means that a company must have sufficient personnel with appropriate permits to inspect and certify that work being performed on systems is in substantial compliance with applicable laws, product listings, and manufacturer's installation instructions;

(4) "equivalent" means 20 years of relevant experience in the design, installation, or maintenance of systems or such other combination or documented training, experience, or certification, that the marshall determines is substantially equivalent to the requirements of (h) of this section;

(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; or

(G) replacing damaged or inoperative detection or audible devices;

(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, CO 2 systems, wet chemical systems, dry chemical systems, 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.

History: Eff. 6/10/93, Register 126; am 8/31/96, Register 139

Authority: AS 18.70.010

AS 18.70.080

AS 18.70.090

Editor's note: Copies of NICET publications are available from the National Institute for Certification in Engineering Technologies, 1420 King Street, Alexandria, Virginia 22314.