Are fire alarm notification devices required in operating rooms?
Yes. The California Fire Code (CFC) requires that audible alarm notification appliances shall provide a sound pressure level of 15 decibels (dBA) above the average ambient sound level or 5 dBA above the maximum sound level having a duration of at least 60 seconds, whichever is greater, in every occupied space within the building.
In lieu of compliance with the audible alarm notification appliance requirements of the CFC, fire alarm notification devices located in operating rooms are permitted to be visible devices in accordance with an exception to the CFC audible alarm requirements. Typically, the omission of audible devices and the installation of visible devices is the preferred means of notification in operating rooms.
When a procedure is underway in an operating room, it is not always possible for a surgeon to immediately respond to a fire alarm located elsewhere within the building; often the procedure must continue without interruption or at best, be brought to a point where the procedure can be safely delayed without placing the patient in undue peril. Since the potential for distracting the surgeon is high when the fire alarm activates, possibly resulting in harmful outcomes, locating the audible notification appliance within the operating room is not recommended. Typically, the omission of audible devices and the installation of visible devices is the preferred means of notification in operating rooms.
2007 California Fire Code (CFC) Section 907.10.2
2010 California Fire Code (CFC) Sections 907.6.2.1 and 907.6.2.1.1
2013 California Fire Code (CFC) Sections 907.5.2.1 and 907.5.2.1.1
2016 California Fire Code (CFC) Sections 907.5.2.1 and 907.5.2.1.1