Smoke Detector Near Door

Q: We have a storage room in a hospital (not located in a suite) that is larger than 100 square feet, and the entrance to this room opens onto an exit-access corridor. The door is equipped with a magnetic hold-open device that releases upon activation of the fire alarm system. My question is, do we need to have a smoke detector within 5 feet of the door?

A: Maybe yes and maybe no. It depends. Section 17.7.5.6.5.1 of NFPA 72-2010 says you need to have smoke detection within 5 feet of the door. If the wall section above the door (sometimes called a ‘transom’) is greater than 24 inches, then you need a smoke detector on both sides of the door. However, there is an exception to this requirement. Section 17.7.5.6.1 says if the corridor that the door opens onto and the storage room itself are fully protected with smoke detection in accordance with NFPA 72-2010, then a smoke detector within 5 feet of the door is not required.

By the way, this requirement to have smoke detection near a door that is held open by a magnet that releases upon activation of the fire alarm system is not dependent on the occupancy type of the building, nor whether the building is fully protected with sprinklers, nor whether the door opens onto a corridor, or serves a storage room. It is universally required in any building with doors that have hold-open devices.