The
Fire Inspector
Gary Mocarski, our Fire Inspector, has been in the fire service since
1974. He started out in volunteer fire and rescue and soon entered the industrial sector, where he held
the title of Loss Prevention Supervisor and rose to the rank of Fire Chief at a two-unit nuclear power station, positions
he held for almost ten years. After a short stint as a fire protection consultant, he became a fire protection
engineer for a federal government facility and joined the volunteer ranks in Aiken. A career change brought
him to the beach where he volunteered briefly with Horry County before becoming Fire Inspector for the Murrells Inlet - Garden
City Fire District. In addition to his duties with this department, he currently serves as president of
the Grand Strand Fire Inspectors Association and Second Vice President of the South Carolina Fire Marshals Association.
He is a South Carolina
Certified Fire Marshal and Interior Structural Firefighter. In addition, he is certified by the International
Codes Council as Fire Inspector I, Fire Inspector II, Fire Safety Plans Examiner, and Fire Code Official.
Codes and Standards
The Fire Inspection Division enforces
the current (2003) International Fire Code (IFC) and ensures that all new construction and permitted modifications
(except for unattached one- and two-family homes) meet the fire-related requirements of the current (2003) International
Building Code (IBC) and/or the International Residential Code (IRC).
Plan Reviews
A full set of plans for all new construction and for modifications and renovations that
require a Building Permit (except detached one- and two-family residential construction) in the district must be submitted
for review by the Fire Inspector. When that review is completed, the Fire Inspector transmits a letter
documenting the results of that review to the respective Building Official. For installation of automatic
sprinkler systems (generally installed under a separate Building Permit from the structure in which they are placed), a copy
of the shop drawings, hydraulic calculations, and sealed Certificate of Compliance that are sent to the SC State Fire Marshal’s
Office must be provided to the Fire Inspector for review. For fire detection, alarm, and occupant notification
systems, a copy of the system layout and device and battery calculations must be provided to the Fire Inspector for review
and approval prior to installation.
Construction
Inspections
The Fire Inspector must be contacted to perform the following inspections (at a minimum)
∙
rough fire inspection to ensure that all systems and/or components that will be concealed by ceilings and/or walls
(including fire-stopping and draft-stopping) are in-place and properly installed
∙
final fire inspection to ensure that all fire and life-safety systems (including wall and floor finishes, all means
of egress, exit signs, emergency lights, and fire extinguishers) are installed and function properly
∙
sprinkler system outside underground flush to verify that all debris in sprinkler lead-in lines has been flushed out
per applicable codes
∙ sprinkler
system rough fire inspection and hydrostatic test to ensure that all piping, hangers, and other sprinkler system components
are installed per approved plans and all piping has been pressure-tested to 200 psi (or 50 psi above the highest operating
pressure) for 2 hours
∙ sprinkler
system final fire inspection to ensure that the system is ready for service, all sprinkler heads are correct for the application
and arranged per approved drawings, spare sprinkler heads are available on-site, and the automatic water-flow alarm initiates
within the time allowed by code.
∙
fire detection, alarm, and/or occupant notification system acceptance testing to verify that every component of the
system performs its intended function, that required audible devices can be heard where and when required, that visible devices
can be seen where required, and that signals reach their required destinations in the time allowed by code
Fire Flows
In order to maintain the best possible protection
class from the Insurance Services Office, this department uses the following fire-flow requirements:
class=Section2>
In
a single unsprinklered building:
(From the Fire Suppression Rating Guide,
Insurance Services Office, New York, 1980)
F = 18 C (A)0.5
where: F =
required fire flow
A = total floor area of the building (or area compartmented by 4-hour
fire walls)
C = coefficient of building type
Fire resistive (IBC Type IAand IB)
0.6
Noncombustible (IBCType IIA and IIB).................................. 0.8
Ordinary (IBCType IIIA and IIIB) .......................................... 1.0
Wood frame (IBC Type IV, VA, and VB).................................. 1.5
In a single sprinklered building (Residential over four stories and all commercial)
(NFPA 13, Standard for the Installation of Sprinkler Systems,
National Fire Protection Association, Quincy, MA, current edition)
F = Qs + Qh
where: F = required
fire flow
Qs = sprinkler demand (gpm for most remote
area [ft2] per NFPA 13)
Qh = hose stream demand (2 hose streams
per NFPA 13)
In
a single sprinklered building (Multi-family residential up to four stories)
(NFPA 13R, Installation of Sprinkler Systems in
Residential Occupancies up to and Including Four Stories in Height, National Fire Protection Association, Quincy, MA,
current edition)
F = ( Qs
x Sd ) + Qh
where: F = required
fire flow
Qs = design discharge (minimum 18 gpm for single sprinkler,
minimum 13 gpm each for multiple sprinklers in single compartment )
Sd = number of design sprinklers (up to 4) in
the same compartment
Qh = hose stream demand (2 hose streams per NFPA
13 [NFPA 13R (2002) § 2-5.2])
In
a residential neighborhood of 1-2 family dwellings:
(From the Fire Suppression Rating Guide, Insurance Services
Office, New York, 1980)
Distance to
nearest exposure (ft.) Required fire flow (gpm)
>100
500
31-100
750-1000
11-30
1000-1500
10 or less
1500-2000 (if buildings are continuous, use a minimum of 2500 gpm)
Where wood shingles could contribute to spreading fires, add 500 gpm.
Fire Inspections
The Fire Inspector and company personnel under his watchful eye perform
routine fire and safety inspections in public occupancies throughout the fire district. These inspections
help to ensure that the residents, customers, patrons, and guests who live, vacation, shop, dine, or visit our area can do
so in a fire-safe environment.
