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CAFMA fire marshal outlines key changes in proposed 2024 International Fire Code for Prescott Valley
Summary
CAFMA Fire Marshal Daryl Turpack presented the town council with the 2024 International Fire Code updates, highlighting requirements for lithium‑ion battery storage, electric vehicles, two means of egress for new subdivisions over 30 homes, and a reaffirmed 5,000‑sq‑ft sprinkler threshold.
Daryl Turpack, fire marshal for the Central Arizona Fire and Medical Authority (CAFMA), briefed the Town of Prescott Valley Council on the 2024 International Fire Code and proposed local amendments.
Turpack said the 2024 code updates respond to new technologies and hazards, citing electric vehicles, lithium‑ion battery storage systems, carbon monoxide risks and emerging uses such as 3‑D printing and inflatable amusement parks. “With all the new technology out there, the code is finally catching up to that technology,” he said.
As a local amendment, Turpack said staff proposes mandatory secondary access for new subdivisions and a clear threshold for one‑ and two‑family developments: “Once we hit 30 homes, a second road will be built,” he told the council, explaining the change is intended to ensure two‑way access for residents and emergency responders. He also stated the town will retain a 5,000‑square‑foot trigger for residential fire sprinklers, closing what he described as a loophole that previously allowed incremental additions below the threshold.
Council members asked practical questions about how the egress requirement would apply to existing communities and projects. Turpack replied that the rule would be applied to new communities and could not be retroactively imposed on existing developments unless additions occur.
The presentation ended after council questions; no formal vote or adoption was recorded on the transcript excerpt. The item remains before the council as a proposed code adoption with staff recommendations and local amendments.
