The 2005 Connecticut Fire Safety Code Guidebook is based upon the 2005 Connecticut State Fire Safety Code, which was effective on December 31, 2005. The 2005 version of the State Fire Safety Code is a blend of portions of the International Code Council (ICC) International Fire Code, the National Fire Protection Association's (NFPA) NFPA 101 - Life Safety Code, and NFPA 1 Uniform Fire Code.

In previous versions of the Connecticut State Fire Safety Code, the code was based upon editions of the Life Safety Code. Those earlier codes encompassed the construction, operational and maintenance requirements for both new and existing buildings and occupancies. This edition of the State Fire Safety Code reflects a change from past practice. The intent of this blend of codes was to remove any differences between the requirements of the State Building Code and State Fire Safety Codes with respect to new construction, additions to and renovations of buildings.

The 2005 State Fire Safety Code is comprised of five major parts:

• Part I - Administration
• Part II - General
• Part III - New Construction, Renovations & Change of Use
• Part IV - Existing Buildings/Occupancies
• Part V - Maintenance and Operational Issues
  

The first part consists of the Administrative issues of the Connecticut State Fire Safety Code. This section covers issues such as scope and application of the various parts of the code, defining the Authority Having Jurisdiction, plan submittal and inspections, building permit and certificate of occupancy approvals, and variations or exceptions.

The second part is applicable to both new and existing building and occupancies and coordinates the major referenced standards utilized by all three major model code components.

The third part contains the construction requirements for new construction, renovations and buildings undergoing a change of use. This section is based upon the provisions of the International Fire Code and requires by reference the use of many requirements from the International Building Code, International Mechanical Code and International Existing Building Code so that the document could be functional for construction activities.

The fourth part contains the construction requirements for existing buildings and occupancies, which incorporates the requirements of the 2003 edition of NFPA 101.