PURPOSE: This rule prescribes fire safety requirements for all community residential facilities and Psychiatric 9 CSR 40-4

Group Homes II, as required by section 630.710, RSMo.

Editor’s Note: The secretary of state has determined that the publication of this rule in its entirety would be unduly cumbersome or expensive. The entire text of the material referenced has been filed with the secretary of state. This material may be found at the Office of the Secretary of State or at the headquarters of the agency and is available to any interested person at a cost established by state law.

1. (1) The facility shall be protected as follows:

   1. (A) Facilities with less than four (4) residents shall have at least one (1) Underwriters’ Laboratory (UL) or Factory Mutual (FM) individual home-type detector on each floor and in each hazardous area. A home-type detector is one powered by an individual battery and which senses smoke or smoke and heat and sounds an audible alarm. The number and location of detectors shall be determined by the fire marshal’s inspector. Detectors shall be tested monthly and batteries shall be changed as needed. A record shall be kept of the dates of testing and changing of batteries;
   2. (B) Facilities having four (4) or more residents shall have a full coverage electrical fire alarm system with battery backup, a master control panel, smoke detectors, heat sensors and pull station. All equipment must be UL- or FM-certified. A zone locator shall be required for more than ten (10) residents unless the facility was licensed prior to July 11, 1983, for more than ten (10) residents without having a zone locator; and
   3. (C) Fire protection equipment required under this section shall be installed in accordance with National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) codes.

2. (2) The facility shall have departmental approval and an electrical alarm system including a full coverage fire sprinkler system prior to—

   1. (A) Placing any resident above the second floor; and
   2. (B) Placing above or below the first floor any resident who requires mechanical or human assistance to evacuate the facility.
3. (3) Approved, portable fire extinguishers shall be located on each floor of the facility so that no person will have to travel more than one hundred feet (100’) from any point to reach the nearest extinguisher. Additional, approved fire extinguishers, type A-B-C or extinguishing systems, shall be provided for every kitchen, laundry, storage room, boiler room, furnace room, elevator motor room and other mechanical equipment rooms. All personnel employed in the facility shall be instructed in the operation of the fire alarm system and the various types of extinguishers.
4. (4) Fire alarm systems and sprinkler systems shall be inspected annually by a competent authority who shall test and certify in writing that the system is operating properly. Annual inspections performed for insurance purposes are acceptable.
5. (5) In facilities having twenty (20) or more residents dining together or having a commercial stove or deep fryer, every cooking range and deep fryer shall be provided with a range hood and extinguishing system with automatic cutoff of fuel supply and exhaust system in case of fire.
6. (6) The facility shall provide adequate fencing around swimming pools, ponds, sewage lagoons, liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) tanks and other potentially hazardous areas.
7. (7) Combustible supplies and equipment, the contents of which are easily ignited, burn with an intense flame or result in the production of dense smoke or fumes (for example, oil base paint, paint thinner, cleaning supplies and gasoline), shall be separated from other parts of the building in accordance with stipulations of state and local fire authorities.
8. (8) The boiler or heating room shall be separated from the rest of the living quarters by construction as required under state or local fire regulations. The heating unit and boiler shall be inspected annually and approved by qualified authorities such as service representatives of a commercial heating company or a public utility company.
9. (9) The heating of residential facilities shall be restricted to steam, hot water or warm air systems employing either central heating plants with installation so as to safeguard the inherent fire hazard or approved installations of outside wall heaters which bear the approved label of the American Gas Association or the American Insurance Association. Alternate modern types of heating systems may be accepted, if approved by the department. The use of portable heaters of any kind is prohibited. If approved wall heaters are used, adequate guards shall be provided to safeguard residents. The heating apparatus employed shall not constitute a burn hazard to the residents. Floor-type heaters or furnaces shall not be permitted. All doors to the boiler and furnace room shall be solid core or equivalent and be self-closing. There shall be adequate ventilation to the outside atmosphere to properly support combustion in the furnace.
10. (10) Heating and ventilation systems and equipment shall be installed and maintained in compliance with standards of the American Insurance Association or American Gas Association.
11. (11) All artificial lighting shall be restricted to electricity. Electric wiring, motors and other electrical equipment shall be in compliance with the National Electric Code.
12. (12) The use of wood, gas or electric fireplaces shall not be permitted unless they are installed in compliance with National Fire Protection Association codes and the facility has prior approval of the department.

13. (13) Exits shall meet the following requirements:

    1. (A) Each floor used by residents and each living unit in semi-independent living arrangements shall have at least two (2) exits remote from each other. At least one (1) of these exits must lead directly outside at ground level or to an outside stairway or to an enclosed stairway that is separated by one and one-half (1 1/2)-hour fire-resistant rating construction from each floor and has an exit leading directly to the outside. Neither of the required exits shall lead through a furnace room, a boiler room, a bedroom or a bathroom. (This subsection does not apply to family living arrangements described in section (14) of this rule.);
    2. (B) In facilities with twenty (20) or more residents, neither of the required exits shall be through a kitchen. This subsection does not apply to the individual living units of semi-independent living arrangements;
    3. (C) Outside stairways shall be substantially constructed to support residents during evacuation. They shall be kept clear of ice and snow. Newly constructed fire escapes shall be at least thirty-six inches (36") wide, shall have either eight-inch (8") maximum risers, nine-inch (9") minimum tread, no winders, maximum height between landings of twelve feet (12’), minimum dimensions of landing of forty-four inches (44"), landings at each exit door, handrails on both sides and be of sturdy construction using at least two-inch (2") lumber and shall be continuous to ground level. Exit(s) to newly constructed fire escapes shall be at least thirty-six inches (36") wide and the door shall swing outward. Outside stairways in facilities with three (3) or more stories shall be constructed of iron or steel;
    4. (D) The facility shall keep all means of egress, including exits, corridors, passageways, aisles and exit through rooms free of any item that would obstruct the exit route;
    5. (E) Every resident’s sleeping room, unless it has a door opening to the outside at ground level, shall have an exit access door leading directly to a corridor which leads to an exit. Exit doors shall be at least thirty inches (30") wide;
    6. (F) Exits shall be so placed that the entrance door of every resident’s bedroom and of every living, dining and activity room is no more than one hundred feet (100’) along the line of travel from the nearest exit. This distance may be increased up to one hundred fifty feet (150’) if the entire building is completely protected by a standard automatic sprinkler system;
    7. (G) Corridor length between smokestop partitions, horizontal exits or from either to the end of the corridor on any resident sleeping floor shall not exceed one hundred fifty feet (150’);
    8. (H) Corridors, aisles or passageways to be used as a means of horizontal exit shall be at least thirty-four inches (34") wide;
    9. (I) Exits shall be at least thirty inches (30") wide except for newly constructed doorways which shall be at least thirty-six inches (36") wide. In facilities with eleven (11) or more residents or nonambulatory residents, exit doors shall swing outward. Locks, if provided, shall not require the use of a key from the inside of the building. A latch or other fastening device shall be provided with a knob, handle, panic bar or other simple type of releasing device;
    10. (J) Facilities with four (4) or more residents, including semi-independent living arrangements with four (4) or more residents, shall have emergency lighting for exits, stairs and corridors. The emergency lighting shall be supplied by an emergency service, an automatic emergency generator or battery lighting system. This emergency service shall be equipped with an automatic transfer switch to provide automatic throwover in case of regular current failure. If battery lights are used, they shall be equipped with a demandtype charger;
    11. (K) Signs bearing the word EXIT in plain legible block letters shall be placed at each exit opening, except at doors leading directly from rooms to exit corridors or passageways and except at doors leading obviously to the outside from the entrance floor. Additional signs shall be placed in corridors and passageways and except at doors leading obviously to the outside from the entrance floor. Additional signs shall be placed in corridors and passageways whenever necessary to indi- Licensed by the Division of Aging and Psychiatric Group Homes II

cate the direction of exit. Letters of signs shall be at least six inches (6") high and three-fourths inches (3/4") wide, except that the letters of internally illuminated exit signs shall be no less than four and one-half inches (4 1/2") high. All exit and directional signs shall be internally lighted or externally illuminated with emergency backup power; and

1. (L) Facilities with twenty (20) or more residents shall have interior kitchen doors separating the kitchen from the rest of the facility. These doors shall have a fire-resistant rating of three-quarters (3/4) of an hour or equivalent. The doors shall be kept closed at all times when not in use. This rule does not apply to kitchens in individual living units of semi-independent living arrangements.

1. (14) Facilities licensed as family living arrangements for residents who are mentally ill/mentally disordered are not required to have two (2) exits from each floor if the residents are placed above the first floor—

   1. (A) Are able to hear and see;
   2. (B) Are able to recognize a fire alarm as a sign of danger;
   3. (C) Are ambulatory and able to evacuate the home without assistance in the event of an emergency; and
   4. (D) Have the foster parents available in the event assistance is needed.

2. (15) Facilities with four (4) or more residents, including semi-independent living arrangements, shall have a smokestop partition between each floor.

   1. (A) All doors providing separation between floors shall have a self-closing device attached. If the doors are to be held open, they shall use electro-magnetic hold-open devices that are interconnected with other fire extinguishers or alarm systems in the building.
   2. (B) Smokestop partitions where required shall have at least a one (1)-hour fire-resistant rating and shall be continuous from wall-towall and floor-to-ceiling or roof above.
   3. (C) Openings in smokestop partitions shall be protected by approved doors with a fireresistant rating of at least three-quarters (3/4) of an hour, be self-closing and kept closed at all times, unless they have magnetic holdopen devices connected to the fire detection or sprinkler system.
3. (16) All vertical openings or shafts (for example, laundry chutes, dumbwaiters, elevators) shall be completely lined with metal or equivalent fire-resistive material. Openings into shaft shall be protected with self-closing fire-resistive doors. 9 CSR 40-4
4. (17) Stairways shall be adequately illuminated with electric lights and shall be provided with a well secured handrail which may project not more than three and one-half inches (3 1/2"). The width of stairways shall be at least thirty inches (30"). The width of a landing at either end of a flight of stairs shall not be less than the width of any door leading to the stairs.
5. (18) Facilities shall have fire drills at least once a month at unspecified hours. Drills shall comply with the specifications of a written plan of evacuation posted in a conspicuous place in the facility. At least annually, a fire drill shall be supervised by the local fire department or inspection authority. Catastrophic and evacuation drills shall be held at least quarterly for each shift of facility personnel under varied conditions. The facility shall keep a written report and evaluation of each evacuation drill indicating whether the evacuation plan was realized, whether any problems were encountered and whether any corrections are needed.
6. (19) The head of the facility shall not permit smoking in bedrooms and areas where smoking is permitted shall be designated as smoking areas and shall have adequate supervision.
7. (20) All preliminary plans and drawings for sprinkler systems and fire alarm systems shall be reviewed by the Missouri State Fire Marshal before they are installed.
8. (21) The head of the facility shall not permit cooking appliances in bedrooms.
9. (22) The department reserves the right to require any reasonable additional fire protection measures deemed necessary for the safety of the residents.
10. (23) The National Life Safety Code shall prevail in the interpretation of these standards.

AUTHORITY: sections 630.050 and 630.705, RSMo (1994).* Original rule filed Oct. 13, 1983, effective Jan. 15, 1984. Amended: Filed March 14, 1984, effective Aug. 15, 1984. Amended: Filed July 15, 1985, effective Feb. 1, 1986. Amended: Filed Jan. 2, 1990, effective June 11, 1990. Amended: Filed July 17, 1995, effective March 30, 1996. *Original authority: 630.050, RSMo (1980), amended 1993, 1995 and 630.705, RSMo (1980), amended 1982, 1984, 1985, 1990.