Delaware Code Title 16 Sec. 6603D – Required testing of fire life safety dampers
(a) All owners of buildings shall be responsible for ensuring that newly-installed fire life safety dampers shall be subject to fire life safety damper testing required to be installed in buildings pursuant to the Delaware Building Standards Code are inspected and tested as required by the applicable NFPA standards referenced in the Delaware Building Standards Code or as set forth in regulations adopted by the State Fire Marshal and in accordance with this section before use is permitted.
Terms Used In Delaware Code Title 16 Sec. 6603D
- Buildings: means a building equipped with heating, ventilating, and air conditioning (HVAC) fire dampers, smoke dampers and/or smoke control system. See Delaware Code Title 16 Sec. 6601D
- Fire life safety damper testing: means testing and inspection activities, including all physical, visual, and operational tests necessary to ensure the complete opening and closing of dampers and the proper functioning of fire dampers and smoke dampers as required by the International Fire Code (IFC), NFPA 80, NFPA 105, and applicable engineering specifications. See Delaware Code Title 16 Sec. 6601D
- Fire life safety dampers: means all fire dampers, smoke dampers, and combination fire and smoke dampers. See Delaware Code Title 16 Sec. 6601D
- NFPA: means National Fire Protection Association. See Delaware Code Title 16 Sec. 6601D
- State: means the State of Delaware; and when applied to different parts of the United States, it includes the District of Columbia and the several territories and possessions of the United States. See Delaware Code Title 1 Sec. 302
- Year: means a calendar year, and is equivalent to the words "year of our Lord. See Delaware Code Title 1 Sec. 302
(b) Fire dampers, smoke dampers, and fire combination fire/smoke dampers shall be inspected and tested no less than once after the first year of installation, and once every 4 years thereafter, except for hospitals. In hospitals, fire dampers, smoke dampers, and combination fire/smoke dampers shall be inspected and tested no less than once after the first year of installation, and once every 6 years thereafter. The testing of fire dampers, smoke dampers and combination fire/smoke dampers shall include the visual inspection method as defined in NFPA 80, 19.5.2.3.2 and in NFPA 105, Section 7.6.3.2. The remote inspection method set defined in Section 19.5.2.2.3 of NFPA 80 and Section 7.6.3.3 of NFPA 105 shall not be used in place of visual inspection for the periodic testing required under this section. All fire/smoke dampers shall be tested, per the aforementioned schedule, regardless of location.
(c) Once installed, fire life safety dampers shall be inspected and tested no less than once after the first year of installation, and once every 4 years thereafter, except for hospitals. In hospitals, fire life safety dampers shall be inspected and tested no less than once after the first year of installation and once every 6 years thereafter. The testing of fire life safety dampers shall include the visual inspection method as defined in NFPA 80, 19.5.2.3.2 and in NFPA 105, Section 7.6.3.2. The remote inspection method set defined in Section 19.5.2.2.3 of NFPA 80 and Section 7.6.3.3 of NFPA 105 shall not be used in place of visual inspection for the periodic testing required under this section. All fire/smoke dampers shall be tested, per the aforementioned schedule, regardless of location.
(d) All owners of buildings shall be responsible for ensuring that smoke control systems required to be installed pursuant to the Delaware Building Standards Code are tested as required by the applicable NFPA standards referenced in the Delaware Building Standards Code or as set forth in regulations adopted by the State Fire Marshal. Dedicated smoke control systems shall be tested at least semiannually. Nondedicated smoke control systems shall be tested at least annually. Testing of smoke control systems shall include tests to determine airflow quantities and pressure differences are code compliant, including at the following locations:
(1) Across smoke barrier openings.
(2) At the air makeup supplies.
(3) At smoke exhaust equipment.