STATE FIRE MARSHAL REQUIREMENTS FOR FAMILY CHILD CARE HOME I & II

The State Fire Marshal’s Office uses the 2000 Edition of the Life Safety Code (NFPA 101) which has been adopted by the State of Nebraska as the current fire codes.

The following are examples of fire safety requirements that are needed in the physical structure of a family child care home program. They include, but are not limited to:

1. At least two unblocked exits from every floor on which child care is provided. One of the exits must be a door that leads directly outside. The second can be an egress window that is not more than 44 inches above the floor and provides a clear opening of 5.7 square feet area.
2. Furnaces, fireplaces, wood-burning stoves and other heaters must be inaccessible to children. You may be required to have a workable, properly maintained fire extinguisher on the premises.
3. All storage areas must be free of excessive combustibles or highly flammable materials.
4. Bathroom and closet doors must be designed so they can be unlocked from the outside.

5. Operating, properly mounted smoke alarms are required. This means:

• One smoke alarm on each level of the home and,
• A smoke alarm outside of the sleeping rooms and,
• A smoke alarm in each sleeping room used by the clients.

All smoke alarms must be powered by the house electrical service (hard-wired).
The smoke alarms must be interconnected so that when one smoke alarm is activated, all smoke alarms sound.
Smoke detection equipment must be UL listed or bear the approval of another major testing laboratory such as Factory Mutual.