Sec. 29.06.05.03. Definitions

A. In this chapter, the following terms have the meanings indicated.

B. Terms Defined.

(1) "Designated qualified individual" means an owner or permanent and dedicated employee of a fire sprinkler contractor, who is responsible for overseeing work performed by other persons employed by the contractor, and who possesses the required NICET or equivalent qualification or professional engineer qualifications in accordance with the appropriate class of license as listed in this chapter.

(2) "Fire sprinkler contractor" means a person that inspects, tests, performs maintenance on, installs, repairs, modifies, or lays out a fire sprinkler system in accordance with standards incorporated by reference in COMAR 29.06.01.

(3) "Fire sprinkler system" means a sprinkler system for fire protection purposes which:

(a) Is an integrated system of piping laid out in accordance with standards adopted in COMAR 29.06.01;

(b) Includes, as the portion of the fire sprinkler system above ground, a network of specially sized or hydraulically designed piping and associated equipment installed in a building, structure, or area, generally overhead, and to which fire sprinklers are connected in a systematic pattern;

(c) Is activated by a device capable of detecting heat or combustion byproducts produced by a fire, and which discharges water over the fire area;

(d) Does not include the first connection to a potable water supply that is downstream of a backflow preventer, and the final connection that discharges indirectly into a public or private disposal system, sanitary drainage facility, or storm drainage facility; and

(e) Includes potable water multipurpose piping systems as defined in NFPA 13D.

(4) "International Building Code" means the edition of the International Business Code, with amendments, which is incorporated by reference in COMAR 29.06.01.

(5) "Layout" means the preparation of shop drawings implementing engineering contract documents and applicable codes and standards.

(6) "Limited area fire sprinkler system" means a:

(a) Fire sprinkler system, except a system installed in a townhouse or other single family dwelling, which is laid out within one fire area, and which is enclosed within approved separation assemblies, with no more than 20 sprinklers based on the spacing limitations of NFPA 13, and laid out in accordance with the International Building Code, and which has a water supply that consists of one of the following:

(i) A standpipe system capable of supplying a 500 gallon/minute (1890 liters/minute) minimum flow and which has an automatic water supply; or

(ii) A connection in compliance with the Maryland State Plumbing Code to a domestic water system laid out to adequately support the design flow of the largest number of sprinklers required to be hydraulically calculated by NFPA 13 in any fire area plus the domestic demand; or

(b) A fire sprinkler system consisting of not more than six sprinklers for any isolated hazardous area connected to a domestic water supply having a capacity sufficient to provide 0.15 gallon/minute/square foot (6.1 liter/minute/square meter) of floor area throughout the entire enclosed area installed in accordance with NFPA 101.

(7) "NFPA" refers to standards produced by the National Fire Protection Association, Batterymarch Park, Quincy, MA 02269, which are incorporated by reference in COMAR 29.06.01.

(8) "NICET" means the National Institute for the Certification in Engineering Technologies.

(9) "Person" means an individual, receiver, trustee, guardian, personal representative, fiduciary, representative of any kind, partnership, firm, association, corporation, or other entity.

(10) "State Fire Marshal" means the Fire Marshal for the State of Maryland or, in the Fire Marshal's absence, an individual who has been specially designated by the State Fire Marshal to enforce this chapter.

(11) "Workmanlike manner" means a quality of work typical of the standard recognized within the industry and befitting a skilled workman or craftsman.