Restaurant TI: Incomplete Submittal and Request for Partial Occupancy
A 12,000 sq ft restaurant and assembly tenant improvement in an existing high-rise is scheduled to open in 10 days. The contractor submits a fire alarm package to LAFD plan check: a floor plan showing 38 new devices, a cut sheet for a new addressable FACP, and a note that battery calculations and voltage drop will be provided at final. The scope replaces the existing FACP and adds voice evacuation to the dining area. The building's sprinkler monitoring and elevator recall are on the same FACP. The contractor has a C-10 electrical license but the drawings are not signed by an engineer. The owner asks whether they can open with a temporary “monitor only” system and complete the voice evac later. The LAFD inspector has not performed an acceptance test. The central station account is active but the new FACP has not been programmed.
1. What is missing from the submittal, and what should LAFD require before approval?
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The package is incomplete for a fire alarm system replacement and voice evacuation addition. It needs a complete riser diagram, device-by-device floor plans, battery calculations, NAC voltage-drop calculations, an input/output matrix and sequence of operations, audibility/intelligibility information for the dining and assembly areas, and product listings. Because the FACP also handles sprinkler monitoring and elevator recall, the sequence must show those functions and the interface to the sprinkler and elevator systems. The drawings must be prepared and signed by the appropriately licensed/qualified designer; a C-10 license alone does not make an unsigned fire alarm design acceptable. The contractor must obtain the fire alarm permit and the electrical permit, and the submittal must identify the central station and programming. “Battery and voltage drop at final” is not acceptable for plan check because those calculations determine conductor and battery sizing. LAFD should reject the deferred items and require a complete resubmittal.
2. Can the owner open with a temporary “monitor only” system while voice evacuation is completed later?
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Generally no, if voice evacuation is required for the assembly occupancy or by the approved construction documents. A monitor-only system does not provide the required occupant notification, and the building cannot receive a certificate of occupancy with a required fire alarm feature incomplete. Partial occupancy may be considered only with a written LAFD-approved phasing plan, temporary equivalent protection, and possibly a fire watch; it is not something the contractor can decide in the field. Also, the new FACP is not programmed, so even sprinkler monitoring and elevator recall may not be functional - that is a serious impairment. The owner should either complete the voice evacuation and acceptance test before opening or delay opening. If the system is impaired, follow LAFD impairment notification procedures and provide fire watch as directed.
3. Outline the correct approval and acceptance sequence from submittal to occupancy.
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- Complete design and calculations; 2) submit to LAFD plan check with permits and fees; 3) obtain approved plans and permits; 4) install per approved plans, with rough-in inspection as required; 5) submit programming and central station account information; 6) perform contractor pretesting of all devices, NACs, battery, and sequence of operations; 7) coordinate the LAFD acceptance test with the owner, contractor, and central station; 8) demonstrate alarm, supervisory, trouble, voice evacuation, sprinkler monitoring, elevator recall, and battery tests; 9) correct deficiencies and obtain approval; 10) provide as-built documents, test records, and training; 11) final inspection and certificate of occupancy. Do not schedule the acceptance test until the FACP is programmed and the central station can verify signals, because a failed test wastes an LAFD trip and delays occupancy.