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Home My WebLink About0 Cinnamon Spring - SFMO Modification - S SCANNED F DEPARTMENTOF ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES STATE OF CONNECTICUT DIVISION OF CONSTRUCTION SERVICES OFFICE OF THE STATE FIRE MARSHAL February 11, 2015 Fire Marshal Walter Summers Town of South Windsor 1540 Sullivan Avenue South Windsor, CT 06074 Dear Fire Marshal Summers: Enclosed is an amended report regarding the Cinnamon Springs Complex on Ellington Road in South Windsor, CT. Our case no. is A-0015-15. This amended report is in response to a Report Analysis and findings prepared by Joseph V. Versteege of Versteege Associates on behalf of the property owners. If you have any questions,please contact Inspector Kiessling (860) 713-5750. Sincerely, )04 J ° Joseph W. Kingston Fire & Life Safety Supervisor Office of State Fire Marshal JWK:dw Enclosure • 165 Capitol Avenue, Room 258 Hartford, CT 06106 Phone: (860)713-5750 Fax: (860)713-7424 www.ct.gov/dcs An Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer STATE 01. CONNEC`l`1C;IJT RPTFORM Department of Construction Services Office of State Fire Marshal Assignment Number: A-0056-12 Character of Report: Date of Report: 6/22/12, 11/21/13 Amended 2/5/15 Fire Marshal Assist 2/5/15 Report By: C. Kiessling Evaluate secondary means of Town: South Windsor Building and-Fire Safety Inspector escape windows in an existing apartment complex Page 1 of-2_Pages ITIAL SUPPLEMENTARY CLOSING DATE& TIME OF INSPECTION: June 20, 2012 1330 hrs LOCATION: Cinnamon Springs, South Windsor SCOPE OF INSPECTION: Determine the feasibility of a Modification from the size requirement of secondary means of escape windows in bedrooms. The apartment complex has 3 types of units that make up the entire apartment complex. The windows that are presently installed do not meet the minimum size opening to be Code compliant rescue • windows. PERSONNEL PRESENT: Fire Marshal Walter Somers, Deputy Fire Marshal Dave Mauldin, and Inspector, Chuck Kiessling. ACTION TAKEN: Those present were allowed access to 2 different styles of units. The first unit was a ranch or citron model. This unit did not use the den for a second bedroom. The master bedroom windows did not meet the dimensions for a rescue window. The bedroom window is 12 inches wide and 53 inches high. Some of the citron,ranch units utilize the den as a second bedroom. The den window in this style unit measures 17 inches high and 24 inches wide. These windows are 59 inches off the finished floor to the bottom of the window frame. The Bayberry units are 1 bedroom units with a loft. Some of these units are being used as a second bedroom. The windows in the loft do not open. The third type of unit is the Townhouse or Aspic model. These units are 2 bedroom units that utilize the same 12 inch wide by 53 inch tall bedroom windows. I t€€Country Club Rd Middletown,C:t 06457 Tel 860-6895-8350-Fax 860-685-8359 • An equal opportunity"Implorer t CONCLUSION:, The Connecticut Fire Safety Code 2005 Edition as amended is specific regarding the size of the window opening and the distance • from floor level. This requirement is found in Chapter 31 (Existing Apartment/Dorm) in section 31.2.1.2.'Section 31.2.1.2 refers to Chapter 24 (One and two family homes) for the requirements of means of escape. Means of escape is defined in Section 24.2. The requirements for secondary means of escape are found in section 24.2.2.3*. It appears that none of the windows located in the bedrooms of all three style units would not be a candidate for any modification seeking relief from the Connecticut Fire Safety Code as amended. The units that have dens that are being used as bedrooms do not have compliant second means of escape. Those units must be identified and brought into compliance. Please note that there are some alternative methods of compliance that the Office of State Fire Marshal is evaluating. Enclosed are some examples of these methods. EXISTING RESIDENTAL Undersized or no Window • Complaint window in common space or second primary means of escape ➢ Interconnected AC/DC smoke alarms throughout dwelling unit located in living room and sleeping • rooms. • Deficient or No window from Common Space ➢ Interconnected smoke alarms AC/DC throughout dwelling unit located in living room and sleeping rooms. AND ➢ Building Corridor Smoke Detection&Alarm. Amendment to the original report * New additional information has been received from Versteeg Associates (see attached report) that describes the operation and training of the residents that meet Section 31.2.1.2 of the CFSC as a compliant window and no further action is required. Submitted By: Approved By: I I I 1 Country Club Rd Middletown,Ct 06457 • Tel 860-6805-8350-Fax 860-685-8359 An equal opportunity Employer 1 4 VersteegAssoclates .. Code Compliance&Fire Safety Consultants 86 University Drive Torrington,CT 06790 860-480-3951 jhversteeg@aol.com Report of Analysis and Findings Cinnamon-Springs Condominium Association Ellington Road, South Windsor 06704 (Secondary Means of Escape Windows) Executive Summary The analysis contained within this report has been prepared on behalf of the Board of Directors for the Cinnamon Springs Condominium Association c/o Advance Property Management, 172 Oakwood Drive, Glastonbury, CT 06033. • At issue is the clear width opening of the secondary escape windows when in the open position. As cited by the South Windsor Fire Marshal, the clear width opening measures only 12-inches versus the minimum 20-inches required by Part IV, Section 24.2.2.3(C) of2005 Connecticut Fire Safety Code. This report details the findings of inspections conducted to verify if in.fact the windows provide a clear width opening of at least 20-inches when both windows sashes were removed without-the use of tools, keys, or special effort in accordance with Section 24.2.2.3(C). . Findings Section 31.2.1.2 within Part IV of the 2005 Connecticut Fire Safety Code requires each dwelling unit within an existing apartment building comply with the means of escape provisions of Section 24.2 for -one- and two-family dwellings. For non- sprinklered dwelling units or rooms within the dwelling unit not having an exterior door; and utilizing an outside window, the window must be operable from the inside without the use of tools, keys, or special effort and shall provide a clear opening of not less than 5.7 ft2,a width not less than 20-inch, and a height not less than 24-inch. My inspection of the windows within a representative apartment unit verified that the overall area inside of the window frame exceeded the required 5.7 sq. ft2 as well as the . minimum 24-inch height, however the clear width opening measured only 12-inches when the either the left-hand or right-hand window sash was moved sideways to the open position. Although the sliding of either sash panel yielded only 12-inches of Report of Analysis and Findings Page 2 1 Cinnamon Springs Condominium Association Ellington Road, South Windsor 06704 (Secondary Means of Escape Windows) • open width, both sash panels could be easily removed from the frame simply by lifting the sash panel upward approximately one-half inch and pulling inward. As such, the. window opening dimensions required by the Code are achieved and the window can be readily operable from the inside without the use of tools,keys, or special effort. Further inspections conducted by representatives of the Board of Directors for the Cinnamon Springs Condominium Association verified that each dwelling unit had windows that were openable and yielded compliant dimensions as described above. On December 29, 2014, accompanied by Fire Marshal Summers, I inspected a randomly selected 10-percent of the apartment units and verified that the windows could be easily opened as described above. Each tenant encountered was aware of the steps necessary to remove the sash panels and demonstrated same. The "Emergency Instructions for Residents of Apartment Buildings"that are required to be provided annually to each dwelling unit by property management by Section 20.9.2.1 of the 2010 Connecticut Fire Prevention Code, will include instructions on how to remove both window sash panels to achieve the required width should the use of the window be required by the occupant. �e�a%� vex • Electronically signed � January 05, 2015 Versteeg Associates 86 University Drive Torrington CT 06790