New Zealand Fire Service design review unit
This article provides further guidance on the role of the New Zealand Fire Service Design Review Unit (DRU).
Codewords August 2006 discussed the types of building consent applications that should be sent to the DRU. Codewords March/April 2007 dealt with alterations to existing buildings (sections 112 and 115 of the Building Act 2004). Fire designs following an alternative approach to meet the performance criteria of the Code may need to be sent to the New Zealand Fire Service DRU. The designs required to be sent to the DRU are described in the Gazette notice 56/2005.
The DRU's role is to provide advice on the means of escape and the needs of persons who are authorised by law to enter the building to undertake firefighting. This is outlined in section 47 of the Building Act 2004.
The DRU cannot set out advice, that exceeds the requirements of the Building Code. Additionally, it is not the role of the DRU to peer review designs or to say whether the design complies with the Building Code.
The DRU's view is only advice, and the building consent authority (BCA) does not have to act on that advice.
BCAs are the regulatory authorities who must decide to grant or reject a building consent application. If they are satisfied 'on reasonable grounds' that the proposed design meets the relevant Building Code requirements, then they must grant a building consent.
In processing performance-based fire-engineered designs, the BCA will almost certainly need to rely on external expert peer review other than the DRU.
Is it appropriate for the DRU to suggest to BCAs that a building undergoing alteration should be installed with a fire hydrant system (type 18)?
Some correspondents have suggested that a fire hydrant system is not related to the means of escape and therefore is not within the DRU's scope to comment.
Building Code Clause C2 (Means of Escape) states:
C2.1 The objective of this provision is to:
- Safeguard people from injury or illness from a fire while escaping to a safe place, and
- Facilitate fire rescue operations.
Therefore, a fire hydrant system would both safeguard people while escaping a fire and facilitate the rescue operation. It is therefore within scope and relevant for the DRU to comment on the need for hydrant installations.