BY TIMOTHY A. HAWTHORNE and HOSSEIN DAVOODI
Concern for animal wel-fare has increased in recent years. The push for adopting and enforcing regulations from animal welfare organizations and the public has resulted in mandates to improve the well-being of wild animals in captivity. Such regulations are continuously improved to facilitate better care of wildlife in captivity as well as domesticated animals.
Because the nature of their business involves animal husbandry, organizations face unique challenges. These organizations are obligated to provide a safe environment for the human occupants. Facilities that board animals, other than a number of zoos, do not have specific regulations for fire and life safety of the animals. Fire and life safety mandates, such as the fire resistance rating of structural elements, smoke management systems, fire sprinklers, fire alarms, and means of egress requirements, are not discussed. Traditional building and fire codes provide for broadly applied concepts to the facilities but lack any specifics concerning the unique nature of the animal inhabitants. The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) has taken one step forward to remedy this situation.
The NFPA technical committee on Animal Housing Facilities developed and updates NFPA 150, Standard on Fire and Life Safety in Animal Housing Facilities. The members of the technical committee represent various interest groups, such as consultants, government officials, manufacturers, zoos, insurance companies, animal welfare organizations, and authorities having jurisdiction (AHJ). The text of NFPA 150 was developed to coincide with applicable codes, eliminate conflicts, and provide information gathered from other resource documents. The final document provides additional safeguards for animals without attempting to duplicate the applicable fire and building codes.
According to NFPA 101, the Life Safety Code (enforced in 40 states), storage occupancies are defined as those occupancies used for the storage and sheltering of goods, merchandise, products, vehicles, or animals. Yet, depending on the number of people present, these facilities can also qualify as an additional occupancy based on the activities taking place in the environment. Also, occupancy classification shall be subject to the ruling of the AHJ where there is a question of proper classification in an individual case. This may lead to inconsistencies in classification at a national level. It is in this capacity that NFPA 150 can assist the AHJ, as well as the owners, operators, and caretakers of these facilities. NFPA 150 intends to bridge the gap between the adopted fire and building codes with regard to facilities that care for or manage animals. The requirements of NFPA 150 recognize the following:
- Animals are sentient beings with a value greater than that of simple property (i.e. storage).
- Animals, both domesticated and feral, lack the ability of self-preservation when housed in buildings and other structures.
- Current building, fire, and life safety codes do not address the life safety of the animals.
NFPA 150 is written so animal housing facilities will continue to be designed, constructed, and maintained in accordance with the applicable building, fire, and life safety codes. These requirements are not intended to replace or rewrite the basic requirements for the human occupants. Instead, NFPA 150 provides additional minimum requirements for the protection of the animals and the human occupants who interact with them in these facilities.
NFPA 150 is divided into three sections: The first section, Chapters 1-3, contains only administrative requirements. The second section, Chapters 4-10, provides general requirements for all facilities housing animals (i.e., facility subclassification, animal category, construction, means of egress, fire protection, and interior finish requirements). The third section, Chapters 11-13, includes specific requirements focused on the class of the facility.
NFPA 150 defines buildings in three classes; it determines the animal class of a building by evaluating the level of public interaction with the animals in the building. Class 1 buildings have no general public access; they include research laboratories, food-processing plants, and quarantine areas. Class 2 facilities have restricted general public access; they include dairy barns that offer tours or breeding facilities. Restricted public access includes members of the public not familiar with the layout of the building. Class 3 facilities have regular general public access; they include viewing areas in zoos, petting barns, board and care facilities, and pet stores. As is the case with the Life Safety Code, classification shall be subject to AHJ ruling in any case where there is a question of proper classification.
NFPA 150 also divides animals into two major categories (A and B). Category A animals are those that pose a potential risk to the health and safety of handlers, rescuers, or the general public; animals that cannot be removed without potential risk to the health and welfare of the animal or other animals; animals that are physically impossible or impractical to move; animals that are not mobile or are placed in a mobile enclosure; or those that cannot be safely released or directed to an area of refuge. Category B animals include all animals not identified as Category A.
The primary goals of this standard are facility usability and safety for human and animal occupants, including property protection as it relates to the primary goals. The intent is to reduce the probability of injury or death to animal and human occupants from fire, similar emergencies, and facility use. The fire safety goals of this standard are as follows:
- To provide an environment for human occupants inside an animal housing facility that is safe from fire and similar emergencies.
- To provide an environment for animal occupants inside or adjacent to a structure that is reasonably safe from fire and similar emergencies.
- To provide safety for firefighters and emergency responders during search and rescue operations for animal and human occupants.
- To minimize loss of property and interruption of facility operations from fire and similar emergencies.
The aim is to design a facility that would give humans and animals enough time to evacuate, relocate, or defend in place. Furthermore, the facility should provide reasonable access to the structure for firefighters and emergency responders and protect adjacent persons, animals, and structures from injury, death, or substantial damage as a result of a fire.
The goal of NFPA 150 is to provide a safe environment for the facility’s human and animal occupants during its normal use. Facilities must be designed and constructed for reasonably safe animal and crowd movement during emergency and nonemergency conditions; provide safety for human and animal occupants and workers during construction and demolition; provide reasonable and appropriate notification to occupants during emergency situations; and provide reasonable signs to identify hazards, means of egress, and other building safety features. This ensures that the facility is capable of functioning at the level for which it was designed and provides assurance that its systems, features, and construction will perform so as to satisfy the objectives of this standard. NFPA 150 aims to improve animal health and welfare while protecting human life and property.
The Smithsonian National Zoological Park (National Zoo) in Washington D.C., one of the world’s preeminent zoos, is home to a variety of animals from diverse habitats worldwide. These animals require different-size quarters and diverse and complex habitat setups. The National Zoo prides itself on providing humane living conditions for these animals based on the species’ mental and physical health. The National Zoo has been implementing the mandates of the new NFPA 150 since its approval.
It is ultimately the responsibility of the owners to provide a safe and stress-free environment for their animals. NFPA 150 is only one instrument owners and enforcing officials can use to provide for the animals an acceptable level of fire and life safety.
TIMOTHY A. HAWTHORNE is the former chairman of the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) Technical Committee on Animal Housing Facilities and a lieutenant with the Cranston (RI) Fire Department.
HOSSEIN DAVOODI is the NFPA staff liaison to the NFPA Technical Committee on Animal Housing Facilities.
