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New Haven council moves to adopt 2024 International Fire Code (Ordinance 412)
Summary
The village council voted to adopt Ordinance 412, updating the local fire code to the 2024 International Fire Code with new provisions on fire‑safe rooms, larger firewall separations and battery fire ventilation and suppression requirements.
New Haven’s village council approved an update to its local fire code, adopting Ordinance 412 to bring the village into alignment with the 2024 edition of the International Fire Code. The code update was presented as a safety measure addressing modern fire‑ and explosion‑related risks.
Council staff and the fire inspector summarized key changes, including expanded requirements for fire‑safe rooms, increased firewall separation standards (moving from one hour to two hours in designated situations), ventilation systems for toxic gases during battery fires and expanded fire suppression and energy‑storage (kilowatt‑hour) limits for battery installations. Trustees said the changes reflect newer building and fire‑safety practices tied to battery technologies and increased energy storage in the community.
Trustee (who moved the ordinance) introduced Ordinance 412 and asked the council to adopt the 2024 edition to “regulate and safeguard life and property from fire and explosion hazards.” The motion received affirmative support from the council and was declared carried by the presiding official.
The update will affect permitting and building review where battery storage, enhanced suppression systems or fire‑safe room measures are relevant; staff said more detailed technical guidance will be provided to developers and property owners via the building department. The council did not request further delay for additional study and approved the ordinance at the meeting.
The council did not attach a separate implementation schedule at the meeting; staff indicated the ordinance language and an implementation plan will be distributed to affected departments and posted for public reference.
