Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Fire Safety topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Coeur d'Alene staff recommend FARS ordinance change to let firefighters refill air inside tall buildings
Summary
City staff recommended the council consider allowing firefighter air replenishment systems (FARS) in new tall buildings to reduce the manpower and safety burden of hauling SCBA bottles; the council vote recommended placing the ordinance change on the full agenda.
City staff presented a proposal to allow firefighter air replenishment systems, or FARS, in new tall buildings and recommended the City Council take the item up on the full agenda.
Staff introduced a short video and explained the system, which they described as "a standpipe for air" that lets firefighters refill self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA) bottles inside a building at stairwell fill stations in about two minutes. Presenters said FARS can reduce the need for a so-called "bottle brigade" — crews carrying heavy spare bottles up multiple flights — and pointed to local jurisdictions that have adopted similar requirements, including Meridian, Boise and Nampa.
The presentation detailed operational and maintenance considerations. Staff said SCBA bottles are tested every five years and replaced every 15 years and offered illustrative cost figures: a recent staged-equipment setup in one building was estimated at about $75,000 and presenters cited roughly $2,000 per SCBA bottle as an example replacement cost. Johnson Controls provided an estimate that installing FARS runs about 0.5%–1.85% of a building's total cost in recent analyses, staff said. Presenters also stated that recent FARS air testing met NFPA standards and argued that because the system is installed by building owners it would not directly impact the city’s operating budget.
Council members asked whether local builders and trade groups had been consulted and whether the cost would amount to a user fee borne by developers and owners. Staff reported limited outreach so far and noted Meridian had coordinated with its regional BCA (building contractors association). A council member also asked technical questions about breathing air versus oxygen; staff confirmed the system supplies breathing air and said air quality testing exceeded NFPA standards.
The committee voted to recommend placing the proposed ordinance change on the full council agenda for further consideration.
The next step is formal council consideration; staff indicated they will continue stakeholder outreach and provide more specifics when the item returns to the council.
