Senate Bill sb0574c1

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    Florida Senate - 2003                            CS for SB 574

    By the Committee on Regulated Industries; and Senator
    Constantine




    315-2169-03

  1                      A bill to be entitled

  2         An act relating to the Florida Building Code;

  3         providing requirements relating to regional

  4         emergency elevator access; requiring elevators

  5         in newly constructed or certain substantially

  6         renovated buildings to be keyed alike within

  7         each of the state emergency response regions;

  8         providing for these requirements to be phased

  9         in for certain existing buildings; restricting

10         the duplication and issuance of master elevator

11         keys; requiring the labeling of master elevator

12         keys; allowing local fire marshals to allow

13         substitute emergency measures for elevator

14         access in certain circumstances; providing for

15         appeal of the local fire marshal's decision;

16         providing for the State Fire Marshal to enforce

17         these provisions; encouraging builders to use

18         applicable new technology to provide regional

19         emergency elevator access; providing an

20         exemption for certain buildings; providing an

21         effective date.

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23  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:

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25         Section 1.  Regional emergency elevator access.--

26         (1)  In order to provide emergency access to elevators:

27         (a)  For each building in this state, including, but

28  not limited to, hotels and condominiums, on which construction

29  is begun after June 30, 2003, all of the keys for elevators

30  that allow public access, including, but not limited to,

31  service and freight elevators, must be keyed so as to allow

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    Florida Senate - 2003                            CS for SB 574
    315-2169-03




 1  all elevators within each of the seven state emergency

 2  response regions to operate in fire emergency situations with

 3  one master elevator key.

 4         (b)  Any building in this state which is six or more

 5  stories in height and is "substantially renovated" as defined

 6  in the Americans with Disabilities Act, as amended, after June

 7  30, 2003, must also comply with paragraph (a).

 8         (2)  Each existing building in this state which is six

 9  or more stories in height must comply with subsection (1)

10  before July 1, 2006.

11         (3)  In addition to elevator owner's agents, elevator

12  contractors, State Certified Inspectors, and State of Florida

13  agency representatives, master elevator keys may be issued

14  only to the fire department and may not be issued to any other

15  emergency-response agency. A person may not duplicate a master

16  elevator key for issuance to, or issue such a key to, anyone

17  other than authorized fire-department personnel. Each master

18  elevator key must be marked "DO NOT DUPLICATE."

19         (4)  If it is technically or physically impossible to

20  bring a building into compliance with this section, the local

21  fire marshal may allow substitute emergency measures that will

22  provide reasonable emergency elevator access. The local fire

23  marshal's decision regarding substitute measures may be

24  appealed to the State Fire Marshal.

25         (5)  The Division of State Fire Marshal of the

26  Department of Financial Services shall enforce this section.

27         (6)  Builders should make every effort to use new

28  technology and developments in keying systems which make it

29  possible to convert existing equipment so as to provide

30  efficient regional emergency elevator access.

31  

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    Florida Senate - 2003                            CS for SB 574
    315-2169-03




 1         (7)  Any building operated by an independent special

 2  district or airport that has 24-hour emergency response

 3  services shall be exempt from this section.

 4         Section 2.  This act shall take effect July 1, 2003.

 5  

 6          STATEMENT OF SUBSTANTIAL CHANGES CONTAINED IN
                       COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR
 7                         Senate Bill 574

 8                                 

 9  Provides that in addition to fire departments, the master key
    also be issued to elevator owner's agents, elevator
10  contractors, State Certified Inspectors, and State of Florida
    agency representatives.
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    Exempts any building operated by an independent special
12  district or airport that has 24 hour emergency response
    service.
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    Replaces the word "open" with "operate in fire emergency
14  situations" in an effort to clarify how the elevators will be
    accessed with the master key during fire emergency situations.
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