Pottstown, PA Fire Regulations: Smoke Detectors (2026)

Borough Code Chapter 7, Part 1, Section 101 requires that, on or after July 1, 1981, every existing building used for multiple-family occupancy be protected by smoke detectors sensitive to products of combustion (heat-only detectors are not acceptable alone), each rated at a minimum of 85 dBA at 10 feet, and each either ionization, photo-electric, or a combination unit. A 'multifamily residential building' is defined as any building with two or more dwelling units, or even a single dwelling that is rented out. At least one detector must sit within 10 feet of the access to each sleeping area, with an additional detector on every added story and in all halls, corridors and stairwells, including basements and cellars, as the fire official directs.

Detectors must be hardwired to the building's power supply or plugged into an outlet fitted with a plug restrainer device that no switch controls. Owners or agents must inspect and maintain every detector annually, and give tenants access to the manufacturer's maintenance schedule and instructions; tenants themselves must test battery units weekly and hardwired units monthly. At every change of occupancy, the grantor (seller, landlord, or sublessor) must certify to the incoming tenant, before occupancy, that all required detectors are installed and working. A permanently wired detector or alternative system needs an electrical permit from the Inspections Department first, and Borough Council may charge a fee for that permit and for occupancy-change certification inspections.

The Part is meant to work alongside NFPA Standards 72E-1978 and 74-1978, with the more protective rule controlling in a conflict, and an approved fire detection system can substitute for individual single-station units.