The following words and terms, when used in this chapter, shall have the following meanings, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise.

1. (1) Business--Planning, selling, installing, maintaining, or servicing fire protection sprinkler systems.
2. (2) Certificate--The certificate of registration issued by the state fire marshal.
3. (3) Certify--To attest to the proper planning, installing, maintaining, or servicing of fire protection sprinkler systems by executing a contractor's material and test certificate or other form required by a governmental authority or by attaching a completed service tag.
4. (4) Commission--The Texas Commission on Fire Protection.
5. (5) Firm--A person or organization as defined in this section.
6. (6) Full-time--The number of hours that represents the regular, normal, or standard amount of time per week employees of the firm devote to work-related activities.
7. (7) Full-time employment basis--An employee is considered to work on a full-time basis if the employee works per week at least the average number of hours worked per week by all other employees of the firm.
8. (8) Inspector--A licensed responsible managing employee for a registered firm that is authorized by this chapter to conduct a premium reduction certification inspection of a fire protection sprinkler system in a one- or two-family dwelling.
9. (9) NFPA--National Fire Protection Association, a nationally recognized standards-making organization.
10. (10) NICET--National Institute for the Certification in Engineering Technologies.
11. (11) Organization--A corporation, partnership or other business association, or a governmental entity.
12. (12) Person--A natural person.
13. (13) Plan--To lay out, detail, draw, calculate, devise, or arrange an assembly of underground and overhead piping and appurtenances in accordance with either adopted fire protection standards or specifications especially designed by an engineer.
14. (14) Registered firm--A person or organization holding a current certificate of registration.
15. (15) Repair--Any work performed after initial installation on fire protection sprinkler systems, not including inspecting or testing.
16. (16) Responsible managing employee--A responsible managing employee, as defined in the Insurance Code, Article 5.43-3, §1(10), and also known within this subchapter as an RME.
17. (17) RME--A responsible managing employee, as defined in the Insurance Code, Article 5.43-3, §1(10).

18. (18) Sprinkler system--A sprinkler system, for fire protection purposes which:

    1. (A) is an integrated system of underground and overhead piping designed in accordance with fire protection engineering standards;
    2. (B) is an installation including a water supply such as a gravity tank, fire pump, reservoir or pressure tank, and/or connection by underground piping to a city main from the point of connection or valve where the primary purpose of the water is for a fire protection sprinkler system;
    3. (C) includes, as the portion of the sprinkler system aboveground, a network of specially sized or hydraulically designed piping installed in a building, structure, or area, generally overhead, and to which sprinklers are connected in a systematic pattern;
    4. (D) includes a controlling valve and a device for actuating an alarm when the system is in operation; and
    5. (E) is usually activated by heat from a fire and discharges water over the fire area.
19. (19) Test--The act of subjecting a fire protection sprinkler system to any procedure necessary to determine whether it is properly installed or operates correctly.

Source Note:The provisions of this §34.706 adopted to be effective May 10, 1984, 9 TexReg 2380; amended to be effective October 17, 1986, 11 TexReg 4161; amended to be effective April 14, 1989, 14 TexReg 1644; transferred effective September 1, 1991, as published in the Texas Register March 6, 1992, 17 TexReg 1745; amended to be effective September 20, 1995, 20 TexReg 7077; amended to be effective August 26, 1996, 21 TexReg 7663; transferred effective September 1, 1997, as published in the Texas Register November 14, 1997, 22 TexReg 11091.