Lee's Summit committee recommends 2024 International Fire Code update, flags lithium‑ion battery rules

The Lee's Summit Community and Economic Development Committee on June 10 voted unanimously to recommend the city adopt the 2024 International Fire Code (TMP 3703), with staff proposing an Oct. 1 effective date to allow a 60‑day onboarding period after anticipated council adoption.

Assistant Chief Jim Eden, who identified himself as the fire marshal for the city, presented the code and said one of the largest changes for Lee's Summit involves energy storage systems and lithium‑ion batteries. He said the draft ordinance references NFPA 855 and adds a new Section 1207 to regulate energy‑storage installations, and that those changes typically require increases in sprinkler protection, detection, and other building‑design measures where batteries are installed.

"What we know about lithium‑ion batteries is that they're very, very difficult to put out with water," Eden said, describing containment approaches (fire blankets, specific charging disconnects and sprinkler-density increases) and noting that firefighters sometimes must prioritize structure protection and containment. At one point he acknowledged the practical challenge succinctly: "Let it burn," a shorthand he used to emphasize that suppression tactics for large battery fires remain limited and labor‑intensive.

Eden also outlined other substantive changes in the 2024 IFC proposal: broader carbon‑monoxide detector requirements for buildings with fuel‑fired appliances; guidance for flammable refrigerants and distilled‑spirits storage; updated rules addressing valet‑trash hazards in multifamily dwellings; and appendix adoptions clarifying water‑demand, hydrant spacing and access standards. He noted a local legacy amendment retaining a 300‑foot hydrant distance (reduced from the model 400 feet) and requiring sprinkler protection at two stories and above rather than three.

Committee members asked about grandfathering and timelines. Staff confirmed the city remains on the 2018 IFC until the council adopts a new code; proposed adoption at full council in July would be followed by a transition period. Miss Alers (staff) recommended moving the effective date to Oct. 1 to avoid peak construction season and to give the development community time to adjust; the committee added that language to its recommendation.

The motion to recommend TMP 3703 to council for approval with an Oct. 1 effective date passed on a unanimous voice/roll call vote. The committee's packet and presentation materials note the full text of proposed local amendments and identify specific chapters where sprinkler, detection and energy‑storage rules were changed.

What happens next: TMP 3703 will be scheduled for consideration by full council. If council adopts the ordinance, staff said it expects a transition period for permit applications and enforcement to allow projects to proceed under the code that best favors permit applicants when appropriate (staff said applicants may be allowed to use either the 2018 or 2024 provisions in some cases while permits are active).