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FIRE MARSHAL DISCRETION FROM FEB 13 2015 ARTICLE
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Ken,
    Thank you for posting my comment about sprinkler supervisory systems and  full occupant notification. I just received a call from a company owner in our area that also does fire alarms. He saw the article and called to let me know that the issue has again raised its ugly head. One of the companies that does plan reviews for the cities that do not do their own, is rejecting plans that do not provide full occupant notification with sprinkler supervisory systems. He has been shown the ruling from Electrical Board and his stance is that the Code has changed and the Boards decision no longer applies.  The owner of the company has contacted Dan Decker and they are waiting for a few more rejections before following up on the ruling. Stay tuned.
Jim Anderson
AUDIO SENTRY CORPORATION

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comment
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Ken
    Thank you very much for the response but I live in a small town and to me the fire marshal does not liked to be questioned even though there is not an amendment to the rule or decision he is making......it puts fire companies at a loss because we do not know what rule he is going to make up or enforce and it's very frustrating. 
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RESPONSE
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    1.  challenge him at your own political peril

    2.  document that you designed per code and he directed a change; make sure he signs off on his directives.  No on the job changes that aren't documented.
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Ken
    Joel Kent is correct if he is NY, other states vary with descriptions and duties of the AHJ's.  Since we travel the east coast from Florida to Maine we see and talk to many AHJ's.  NOT all are created equal...!!
    Anon - I am on my way......
Mike
CSS
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KEN, 
    I NEED YOUR OPINION ON WHAT I FEEL IS A UNIQUE SITUATION REGARDING A NEWLY PLACED VILLAGE ORDINANCE THAT HAS ONE OF MY CUSTOMERS FURIOUS. 
    IN 2006 WE INSTALLED A FIRE ALARM SYSTEM FOR HIS NEWLY BUILT SALON WHICH ALSO HAS A 2ND FLOOR APARTMENT ABOVE THE SALON. THE SYSTEM ALSO HAS RADIO COMMUNICATION GOING TO OUR U.L. CENTRAL STATION. DURING THE INITIAL INSTALLATION WE PULLED ALL THE NECESSARY PERMITS AND AFTER THE INSTALLATION WAS COMPLETED WE HAD IT INSPECTED FOR OCCUPANCY APPROVAL WHICH WAS APPROVED. A NUMBER OF YEARS LATER YEARS THE VILLAGE CHANGED THEIR ORDINANCE WHICH FORCED BUSINESSES TO HAVE A VILLAGE RADIO INSTALLED. AS I'M SURE YOU ARE AWARE, THE ILLINOIS ALARM ASSOCIATION HAS BEEN FIGHTING ALL OF THESE VILLAGE ORDINANCES AND WITH GOOD SUCCESS, EXCEPT FOR THIS PARTICULAR VILLAGE. 
 
YEARS AFTER THE ORIGINAL INSTALLATION, THE PREVIOUS FIRE CHIEF MET WITH MY CUSTOMER ABOUT THIS NEW ORDINANCE. MY CUSTOMER SHOWED THE FIRE CHIEF OUR EQUIPMENT INCLUDING THE RADIO COMMUNICATION SYSTEM THAT THE CHIEF KNEW WAS GOING TO OUR CENTRAL STATION. AT THAT TIME THE CHIEF INDICATED THERE WAS NO PROBLEM WITH THE CURRENT COMMUNICATION SYSTEM AND THAT HE COULD LEAVE THE  EQUIPMENT AND COMMUNICATION TO OUR CENTRAL STATION IN PLACE. HOWEVER IF ANY DESIGN CHANGES TAKE PLACE WITH IN THE BUILDING THAT WOULD REQUIRE MODIFICATIONS TO THE FIRE ALARM SYSTEM, THEN AT THAT TIME MY CUSTOMER WOULD BE REQUIRED TO SWITCH HIS MONITORING SERVICE OVER TO THE VILLAGE'S DESIGNATED COMPANY VIA  THEIR RADIO, WHICH THEY SAY GOES TO THE  VILLAGE'S DESIGNATED COMPANIES BUILDING AND THEN AGAIN TRANSMITS ALARMS TO THE VILLAGE DISPATCH CENTER VIA RADIO NOT A PHONE CALL. IF MY CUSTOMER HAS TO MAKE THIS SWITCH OVER, HE WILL BE PAYING A ADDITIONAL $720.00 ANNUALLY PLUS THE INSTALLATION CHARGE OR $300.00. IF THIS SWITCH OVER HAS TO TAKE PLACE, THE OTHER THING I FEEL WOULD ALSO BE NON PRODUCTIVE IS "WE AT THE TECHNICAL DEPARTMENT WILL NOT KNOW ANY TIME THE FIRE ALARM ACTIVATES UNLESS WE GET A PHONE CALL FROM SOMEONE". WHERE AS, CURRENTLY ALL COMMUNICATION SIGNALS COME TO OUR TECHNICAL DEPARTMENT AS WELL AS OUR CENTRAL STATION. 
 
LAST AND MOST IMPORTANT, MY CUSTOMER HAS A LETTER FROM THE PREVIOUS FIRE CHIEF STATING ALL OF THIS. ......... THE CURRENT FIRE CHIEF SAID THAT IS NO LONGER ACCEPTABLE AND HE HAS TO SWITCH PER THE VILLAGE'S ORDINANCE. ............. I WOULD THINK THERE IS A LEGAL OPPORTUNITY TO FIGHT THIS VILLAGE BUREAUCRATIC NONSENSE. WHAT'S YOUR OPINION?  
THANKS,
PAUL
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RESPONSE
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    Legal opportunity to fight the Village?  Who is going to fund that battle?  Maybe the association will tackle this one too.  Could wait to be fined and then challenge it in the Village court.  Good luck with that.
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getting new contracts signed - 3 day notice
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Ken
    When I first started in business I did not use your Residential All in One contracts. I currently am using them as well as your Fire All in One (thank god).   I am attempting to  get previous customers before I started using your contracts to sign them.   There is only a hand full.  My question is, since they are pre-existing customers do they need to sign the three day notice of cancellation?  I do have Rapid Response monitoring contracts with past clients signed.  If you post this on your daily email please put anon.    Thanks for all your help and your daily emails.  
anon
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RESPONSE
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    You will be having your subscribers sign a new contract.  It will have a current date.  You need to provide the 3 day notice of cancellation.  That won't apply to the Fire All in One subscriber since they are all commercial accounts and the 3 day notice applies only to residential consumers.
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