9-808. Fire apparatus access road or approved route; fire watch requirements; enforcement; intent; state preemption; definitions

A. A municipality may not adopt any, or part of any, fire code, ordinance, stipulation or other legal requirement for an approved fire apparatus access road or a fire apparatus access road extension, or both, or an approved route or a route extension, or both, that directly or indirectly requires a one or two family residence or a utility or miscellaneous accessory building or structure to install fire sprinklers. A fire code official may increase or extend an approved fire apparatus access road or a fire apparatus access road extension, or both, or an approved route or a route extension, or both, to comply with this section. Compliance with this subsection is not grounds to deny or suspend a license or permit.

B. Nothing in subsection A of this section prohibits a municipality from adopting fire codes or ordinances to provide sufficient fire access and fire routes that ensure public health and safety.

C. If a municipality's fire code requires the use of a fire watch, an employee who works at the building in which a fire watch is required may serve as the fire watch. A person who is designated as a fire watch shall be equipped with means to contact the local fire department, and the person's only duty while keeping watch for fires shall be to perform constant patrols of the protected premises. The municipality shall provide the fire watch with printed instructions from the office of the state fire marshal and may provide a free training session before the person's deployment as the fire watch begins.

D. Subsection A of this section may be enforced in a private civil action and relief, including an injunction, may be awarded against a municipality. The court shall award reasonable attorney fees, damages, lost opportunity costs, interest and the cost of the sprinkler system to a party that prevails in an action against a municipality for a violation of subsection A of this section.

E. The legislature finds and determines that property rights are a matter of statewide concern and a fundamental element of freedom. A property owner's right to use the property owner's property must be protected from unreasonable abridgment by municipal regulation and enforcement. This section supersedes and preempts any regulation adopted by a municipality regarding an approved fire apparatus access road, fire apparatus access road extension, approved route or route extension.

F. For the purposes of this section:

1. " Fire code" includes the international fire code, however denominated.

2. " Fire watch" means a person who is stationed in a building or in a place relative to a building to observe the building and its openings when the fire protection system for the building is temporarily nonoperational or absent.

3. " Utility or miscellaneous accessory building or structure" includes an agricultural building, aircraft hangar, accessory to a residence, barn, carport, fence that is more than six feet high, grain silo, greenhouse, livestock shelter, private garage, retaining wall, shed, stable, tank or tower.