Fire Code Amendments (added 8/22/2025)*

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ORDINANCE NO.  
NEW SERIES 
AN ORDINANCE OF THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF GLENDALE, 
MARICOPA COUNTY, ARIZONA, AMENDING GLENDALE CITY CODE, 
CHAPTER 16, ARTICLE II AND ARTICLE III; AND SETTING FORTH AN 
EFFECTIVE DATE. 
BE IT ORDAINED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF GLENDALE as follows: 
 
 
SECTION 1. That the Glendale City Code Chapter 16, Article II is hereby deleted in its entirety 
and a new Article II is hereby adopted and shall read as follows: 
 
 
ARTICLE II. TECHNICAL CODE 
Sec. 16-16. Adopted by reference; violation. 
(a) The following publication, one (1) copy of which is on file in the office of the city 
clerk, is adopted by reference as if set out at length in this Code. 
1. 2024 International Fire Code, as published by the International Code Council, 
Inc. 
2. 2024 International Fire Code, appendix chapters B, C, D, E, F, H, I, K, and N; 
these chapters may be used as acceptable alternate methods and optional 
considerations, or requirements as determined or approved by the fire code 
official. 
(b) Any person violating any of the provisions of the publications adopted in subsection 
(a) shall be guilty of a misdemeanor. 
 
 
Sec. 16-17. Amendments to the 2024 International Fire Code. 
The 2024 International Fire Code is amended in the following respect: 
Section 101.1 is hereby amended to read as follows: 
101.1 Title. This regulation shall be known as the Glendale Fire Code, may be cited as such and 
will be referred to herein as “this code”. 
Section 104.7.6 is hereby deleted and replaced with the following: 
104.7.6 Fees. The fire chief is authorized to collect fees for all inspections or operational 
services authorized by the code for the city of Glendale or the Glendale fire code. Permit and

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inspection fees, and other operational fees of the fire department may be determined by the fire 
chief or their designee and established by resolution. 
Section 105.5.34 is hereby amended as follows: 
105.5.34 Mobile Food Unit. Mobile food units shall not be required to obtain a special permit that 
is not required for other mobile vending businesses. Mobile food units are required to be inspected 
by a city or town fire department before operation. 
Exception: If the mobile food vendor provides evidence that the mobile food unit passed a fire 
inspection by another city or town fire department in this state within the preceding twelve months. 
Section 113.4 is hereby amended to read as follows: 
113.4 Violation Penalties. Persons who shall violate a provision of this Code or shall fail to 
comply with any of the requirements thereof or who shall erect, install, alter, repair or do work in 
violation of the approved construction documents or directive of the fire code official, or of a 
permit or certificate used under provisions of this Code, shall be guilty of a Class 1 misdemeanor 
and punishable as a Class 1 misdemeanor under state law. 
Section 114.4 is hereby amended to read as follows: 
114.4 Failure to Comply. Any person who shall continue any work after having been served 
with a stop work order, except such work as that person is directed to perform to remove a 
violation or unsafe condition, shall be assessed a fee in accordance with the fees established by 
council resolution for operating without a permit. 
Section 903.2.13 is hereby added to read as follows: 
903.2.13 New and Existing Building with Unknown Occupancy or Hazard Classification. Where 
new or existing buildings are constructed or remodeled with an interior ceiling/deck height 
exceeding 20 feet (6,096 mm) and the occupancy or hazard classification is unknown, the 
minimum fire sprinkler design density criteria shall be .495/2000 square feet. 
Section 1103.5.3 is hereby amended to read as follows: 
1103.5.3 Group I-2, Condition 2. In addition to the requirements of section 1103.5.2, existing 
buildings of I-2, Condition 2 occupancy shall be equipped throughout with an approved automatic 
fire sprinkler system in accordance with section 903.3.1.1. The automatic fire sprinkler system 
shall be installed within 12 months of written notification. 
Example Group 2, Conditions 2 occupancies include: Facilities that provide nursing and medical 
care and could provide emergency care, surgery, obstetrics, or inpatient stabilization units for 
psychiatric or detoxification, including, but not limited to hospitals.

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Sec. 16-18. Minimum qualifications for fire protection system design professionals. 
Construction documents (shop drawings) of fire protection systems shall be prepared or reviewed 
and stamped by a design professional with a minimum of NICET level III or equivalent 
qualifications. 
 
 
Sec. 16-19. Minimum qualifications for fire protection system installation, maintenance and 
repair professionals. 
The installation, maintenance, testing, and repair of fire protection systems shall be performed by 
a competent professional with a current license (appropriate for the work being performed) 
issued by the Arizona Registrar of Contractors. 
 
 
Sec. 16-20 – 16-50 Reserved 
 
 
SECTION 2. That Glendale City Code Chapter 16, Article III is hereby deleted in its entirety 
and a new Article III is hereby adopted and shall read as follows: 
 
 
ARTICLE III. SPRINKLER ORDINANCE 
 
Sec. 16-51. - Definitions. 
 
(a) Terms defined in other codes; where words, terms and phrases not defined in this Code and 
are defined in other currently adopted Codes, such words, terms and phrases shall have the 
meaning ascribed to them in those codes. 
 
(b) In addition, the following words, terms and phrases, when used in this article, shall have 
the meanings ascribed to them in this section, except where the context clearly indicates a different 
meaning: 
Approval: Refers to approval by the fire code official as the result of an official code 
interpretation or code modification request or pursuant to investigation and tests or by reason 
of accepted principles or tests by national authorities, technical or scientific organizations. 
Approved: Acceptable to the fire code official. 
This Code: Refers to the current adopted International Fire Code, amendments and 
ordinances.

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Sec. 16-52. - General sprinkler system requirements. 
 
In addition to the requirements of this Code, an approved automatic sprinkler system shall be 
required as follows: 
(a) Throughout the entire building of all newly constructed commercial and residential 
structures. Exception: 
1. Where specifically omitted or otherwise not required in accordance with this Code. 
2. In one and two-family dwellings regulated by the International Residential Code and in 
accordance with state law. 
 
(b) Properties and/or structures for annexation shall comply with 2024 International Existing 
Building Code (IEBC) annexation requirements. 
 
Sec. 16-53. - Permissible sprinkler omissions. 
(a) Sprinkler systems shall be designed based on complete coverage with no unprotected areas. 
Sprinkler coverage may be omitted from certain areas where the application of water may 
constitute a serious life or fire hazard. Additionally, sprinkler coverage may be omitted as provided 
for in NFPA 13, 13R and 13D and where approved by the fire code official. 
 
(b) Unless the use of the facility otherwise requires automatic fire sprinkler protection, automatic 
fire sprinklers shall not be required in the following areas: 
1. Detached non-combustible Group U occupancies that do not exceed 5,000 square feet. 
2. Detached non-combustible canopies that do not exceed 5,000 square feet and used for shade 
purposes. 
3. Exterior roofs, overhangs or canopies of type I, II or III construction with no combustible 
storage beneath and those designed as pedestrian shade. 
 
Note: For this section, "detached" is defined as a separate single-story building or structure, 
without a basement or crawl space and located an approved distance from all structures. 
 
(c) In addition to automatic sprinkler systems required by this Code, other approved automatic fire 
protection systems may be installed to protect special hazards. These additional systems shall not 
substitute for the required automatic sprinkler system without approval of the fire code official. 
 
 
SECTION 3. That the provisions of this ordinance shall become effective thirty (30) days after 
passage by the Glendale City Council. 
 
 
 
PASSED, ADOPTED AND APPROVED by the Mayor and Council of the City of Glendale,

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Maricopa County, Arizona this  
day of  
, 2025. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
MAYOR 
ATTEST: 
 
 
City Clerk 
(SEAL) 
APPROVED AS TO FORM: 
 
City Attorney 
REVIEWED BY: 
 
City Manager