COUNTY OF SAN MATEO

Inter-Departmental Correspondence

Environmental Services Agency

 

DATE:

March 20, 2003

BOARD MEETING DATE:

April 8, 2003

 

TO:

Honorable Board of Supervisors

FROM:

Marcia Raines, Director, Environmental Services Agency

SUBJECT:

Half Moon Bay Fire Protection District Ordinance #2002-01

 

Recommendation

Adopt a Resolution:

1)

Ratifying Half Moon Bay Protection District Ordinance #2002-01 for filing.

2)

Delegating the enforcement of the ordinance to the Chief of the Half Moon Bay Fire Protection District, or his or her authorized representative.

 

Background

The basis of any fire department code enforcement program is an adopted fire code and standards. Codes and standards are minimum requirements. Through a process outlined under the State Health & Safety Code, local jurisdictions may, in order to meet local conditions, adopt standards that are more stringent than the Uniform Fire Code. These modified standards serve to address the unique hazards of the local community. Local fire authorities incorporate their local amendments with the 2000 Uniform Fire Code (UFC) and the 2001 California Fire Code (CFC). The modified standards usually then become known as the local fire code or ordinance. Without these adopted local amendments, jurisdictions are required by State law to enforce the 2000 UFC with California amendments.

 

Discussion

Health and Safety Code (HSC) 13869.7 allows fire districts to adopt more stringent regulations than those published in the UFC. This same section also requires the fire protection districts to submit such ordinances, when adopted by their board of directors, to the legislative bodies of the jurisdictions in which the district lies for ratification, modification or denial. For fire protection districts that include unincorporated County lands, the County Board of Supervisors is one of the legislative bodies that must make a determination of whether to ratify, modify or deny the fire district's ordinance. The County must transmit its determination back to the district within 15 days of the determination. Upon ratification of the fire protection district's ordinance by the County, the County is obliged to file a copy of the district's findings and the ordinance with the Department of Housing and Community Development. The County is also required to delegate enforcement of the ordinance to either the district's fire chief or the County's chief building official.

San Mateo County Fire was asked to review the proposed Half Moon Bay Fire Ordinance for significant differences or conflicts, primarily in comparison with the adopted San Mateo County Building Ordinance. Half Moon Bay's proposed ordinance is either equal to, or more stringent than those of the County's Building Ordinance, the UFC, and the Uniform Building Code. It is therefore the recommendation of the San Mateo County Fire Department that the Board ratify the Half Moon Bay Fire Ordinance #2002-01 as submitted herein. The proposed ordinance would only affect the unincorporated lands within the Half Moon Bay Fire District.

Outlined below are the major differences between the proposed Half Moon Bay Ordinance (HMB) and San Mateo County Regulations (SMCO):

¬ Fire Sprinklers: Existing Buildings

    HMB Sec 1003.2.2

    Existing residential buildings with a total floor area of 3,600 square feet or more are required to have automatic fire sprinklers when alterations, repairs or remodeling are done to the structure.

    HMB Sec. 1003.2.2.2

    This section requires an existing building to have fire sprinklers installed, regardless of occupancy, use, or size, when an addition of 1,000 square feet or more is added to the structure.

    SMCO Sec. 9114.4

    Fire sprinklers are only required if additions, alterations, or repair, exceed 75% of the estimated value of the building.

¬ Fire Sprinkler Requirement: Agricultural Buildings

    HMB Sec 1003.2.12.3

    This section may require fire sprinklers in agricultural buildings based on various criteria.

    NOTE: U-1 Occupancies include agricultural buildings, garages, carports and sheds.

    SMCO Ordinance Sec 9114

    This section has specific exemptions, including agricultural buildings from the fire sprinkler requirement.

¬ Fire Sprinkler Requirement: Mobile Homes

    HMB Sec 1003.1.3 Exemptions 1 - 5

    There is no mention for a fire sprinkler exemption for mobile homes.

    SMCO ORDINANCE

    Sec. 9114.2 (b)

    Exempts mobile homes.

¬ Audible Alarm Device for Group R Division 3

HMB Sec. 1003.3.3.1

    This section requires an additional water flow alarm device to be located within the living portion of a sprinklered residential structure.

    SMCO ORDINANCE

    Does not require an interior water flow alarm for sprinklered residential structures.

Vision Alignment

The Half Moon Bay Fire Protection Ordinance #2002-01 supports the commitment of ensuring basic health and safety for all and goal #7: maintaining and enhancing the public safety of all residents and visitors. The ratification of this Ordinance contributes to this commitment and goal by prescribing regulations for the safeguarding, to a reasonable degree, of life and property, from the hazards of fire, explosion, and dangerous conditions that are hazardous to life or property, in the use or occupancy of buildings or premises, and provisions to assist emergency response personnel.

 

Fiscal Impact

This ordinance will have no fiscal impact on the County.