The International Fire Code (IFC) is the model fire code published by the International Code Council and adopted, often with local amendments, by most U.S. states and many cities.
Where the International Building Code governs how a building is designed and built, the IFC governs fire safety in buildings as they are used and maintained: fire department access, fire protection systems, hazardous materials and operations, and the ongoing inspection and testing of systems. The two codes are written to work together. See I-Codes.
What it covers for parking
- Fire apparatus access roads, fire department connections and standpipes.
- Inspection, testing and maintenance of sprinklers, alarms and standpipes.
- Storage and operations allowed in garages, such as fuel and vehicle repair.
- Electric vehicle charging and energy storage systems, an area of active change in recent editions. See battery energy storage and NFPA 855.
The Parkonomics view
The fire marshal enforces the IFC long after the building inspector has signed off. Bring the fire marshal into decisions on EV charging, batteries and fire access early, because the IFC edition in force can decide what is allowed and where.
Related terms: I-Codes, International Building Code, NFPA, NFPA 855, Thermal Runaway, Authority Having Jurisdiction