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| Codes |
| The Boone County Fire District has adopted the Building Officials and Code Administrators (BOCA) National Building Code (1996 edition), National Fire Prevention Code (1996 edition). In addition, the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) Life Safety Code (current edition) and NFPA referenced and related fire; hazardous material, water supply and building standards are in effect. Boone County Fire District codes are concurrent with Boone County Codes adopted by the Boone County Commission. This eliminates the potential for contradictory standards. Likewise, new construction only requires one permit application – through Boone County Planning and Protective Inspections. In those few areas within the Boone County Fire District in which code enforcement has not been contracted with Boone County Planning and Protective Inspection by municipalities (McBain and Sturgeon), construction permits must be acquired from Boone County Planning and Protective Inspection as those jurisdictions are within the Fire District and, by law, must comply with Fire District codes.
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| The code process in Boone County begins with the Boone County Planning & Protective Inspection Department. Residential and commercial builders must submit a “sealed” set of plans for review and issuance of a building permit. All new buildings are inspected throughout the construction process. The Fire District serves in an ancillary role and reviews street width and emergency vehicle access, fire hydrant water supply needs and fire hydrant locations. The minimum acceptable fire flow in a residential development is 250 gallons of water per minute (gpm) per fire hydrant based upon square footage of the structure. The 250 gpm requirement increases to 500 gpm if homes exceed 2500 square feet. Hydrant spacing in residential developments shall not exceed 500 ft unless approved by the Fire District. The minimum acceptable fire flow in a commercial development is 500 gpm per fire hydrant. The formula for calculating the actual amount of water needed via the fire hydrant system is based upon the materials used to build the building (wood, steel, block, etc.), what the business is used for (mercantile, storage, manufacturing, etc.) and the dimensions of the building. These calculations determine the needed fire flow (NFF) to effectively fight a fire in the structure. Hydrants in a commercial development can be spaced no further than 300 ft apart.
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| The Fire District, prior to the issuance of an occupancy permit, inspects all commercial buildings. The Boone County Fire District Fire Marshal will inspect the emergency egress lighting, exit signs, fire suppression sprinkler system, fire alarm system, exit doors and fire extinguishers. The Fire Marshal’s recommendations will be forwarded to the Boone County Planning & Protective Inspection Department for review. A determination on whether the occupancy permit will be issued is then made.
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| There is no charge for plan review, pre-occupancy inspection or re-inspection by the Fire District.
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Building and Life Safety Codes
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| Prior to 1975, there were no construction codes outside the city limits of Columbia. The results of inadequate construction were proven time and time again under fire conditions in Boone County. Improper installation of fire places, furnaces, etc. resulted in many unnecessary fires and improper construction involving fire separations, sheetrock, smoke detectors, etc. caused more rapid and extensive fire spread thus resulting in higher risk to life and higher property loss. Building and life safety code compliance is a vital component of a community’s fire protection program.
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| In the 1970’s the Boone County Fire Protection District undertook an effort to adopt and enforce building and fire safety codes in Boone County. To say the least, this was extremely controversial and was met with a great deal of resistance. The Fire District persevered and, in concert with county government, developed a code adoption and enforcement program that has proven its worth many times over since 1975. The Fire District, on practically a daily basis, sees the positive results of this code program with reduced incidents of fire and reduced magnitude of fires, when they do occur.
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| Current Codes
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| The following codes are presently in existence in Boone County and may be referenced at the following locations:
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| Boone County Protection Inspections office |
Boone County Fire Protection District Headquarters
2201 I-70 Drive Northwest
Columbia, MO 65202
(573) 447-5000
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| Contacts:
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®2010 Boone County Fire Protection District, Columbia, Missouri |
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