Which buildings must have a fire alarm designed to warn occupants?

• A. Section 1006 of the California Fire Code requires a fire alarm designed to warn occupants in apartment houses three stories or more in height or containing more than 15 apartments, and hotels three stories or more in height.
• B. Apartment houses with any number of units require fire alarms.
• C. Only hotels require alarms.
• D. If a building has sprinklers, alarms are not required.

Answer: (A)

The main concept is occupant warning requirements for fire alarms in multi-unit residential and hotel buildings under the California Fire Code. The correct choice reflects the code that requires a fire alarm designed to warn occupants in apartment houses three stories or more in height or containing more than 15 apartments, and hotels three stories or more in height. This sets clear thresholds for when occupant notification alarms are required, ensuring people in larger or taller buildings can evacuate promptly.

Why this answer fits best: it cites a specific code section and the exact conditions under which alarms must warn occupants, covering both apartment buildings meeting the size/height criteria and hotels of sufficient height. This aligns with the purpose of alarms—to alert occupants so they can evacuate safely in larger or taller structures.

Why the other options don’t fit: one statement overgeneralizes that all apartment houses require alarms, regardless of size; that is not in line with the stated thresholds. Another asserts only hotels need alarms, which ignores the apartment-building threshold. The last claim says sprinklers remove the need for alarms, which isn’t true—the presence of sprinklers does not eliminate the requirement for occupant warning alarms in those buildings.