Monthly Report
California State Fire Marshal
July 2003
Code Enforcement
The contractual agreement with the Department of Health Services (DHS) for the State Fire Marshal’s Office to provide Life Safety Code 101 inspections was terminated effective July 1, 2003. DHS will conduct NFPA 101 inspections of health care facilities. An informational bulletin has been posted on the website entitled ‘Health Care Facility Inspections’. This bulletin is available at the following website: http://osfm.fire.ca.gov/
Fire Engineering
Fire Extinguisher Program
Code Development and Analysis
Fire Safe Planning
The progress is continuing on development of Fire Safe Building Standards for the Urban Wildland Interface. The Department-sponsored Assembly Bill (AB) 1216 (Vargas, Fire Safety: Regulations) has passed the Assembly, passed the Senate Committee on Housing and Community Development, and has passed the Senate Committee on Natural Resources and Wildlife. Please direct letters of support to Assembly Member Juan Vargas, Attention Jim Anderson, State Capitol, Room 2013, Sacramento, CA 95814. Project information and updates are available at the following website: http://osfm.fire.ca.gov/UWIBS.html
We are waiting for approval from FEMA for a time extension and additional grant funding to assist with the completion of an updated "Fire Safe: Inside & Out" public education video.
CAIRS/Data Collection
SFM has been collecting and processing NFIRS data for the first quarter of 2003. Half of the backlog of NFIRS data has now been processed (44,473 incidents).
Title 19
High-Rise Fire Drills
The SFM is developing an interest group mail list for the proposed high-rise fire drill regulation change. The SFM proposes to change the fire drill requirements for high-rise buildings from once a year to twice a year. For more information or to express your interest, please contact Ingrid Icasiano by phone (916) 445-9476, or via e-mail: mailto:Ingrid.Icasiano@fire.ca.gov
Fire Code Update
The SFM proposes to update the 1979 Uniform Fire Code to the 2000 Uniform Fire Code, and where appropriate, the 2001 California Fire Code. Fire service inspectors asked that the standpipe test information, found only in the Appendix of the 1979 Uniform Fire Code, are included in the new regulations. The text of the new regulations can be found on the SFM website: http://osfm.fire.ca.gov/
Non-Metallic Waste Cans
The SFM was petitioned to change the outdated referenced the test standard for
non-metallic waste cans (T-19 CCR Section 3.19 Housekeeping) with up-to-date test standards. This regulatory proposal is also on the SFM website.
Both of these proposed regulations are subject to the review of the SFM Division Chiefs and the Fire and Life Safety Building Standards Advisory Board, before being submitted to the Office of Administrative Law for regular rulemaking. If you have any questions or concerns with these proposals, please contact Rodney Slaughter via e-mail at the following: mailto:Rodney.Slaughter@fire.ca.gov
Tire Fire Curriculum and Regulations
The contract between California Integrated Waste Management Board and the SFM is moving forward. A legislative proposal is pending which will give the SFM the statutory authority to develop fire regulations for scrap tire storage. The first curriculum-working group has met and the outline for the new training program will be posted shortly on the SFM website. Any question regarding this program should also be directed to Rodney Slaughter at (916) 445-8454 or via e-mail: mailto:Rodney.Slaughter@fire.ca.gov The first tire fire presentation will be held at Continuing Challenge in September.
Title 24
The SBSC has approved the proposed emergency regulations relating to Senate Bill (SB) 1896. The subject of this bill relates to bedridden clients in Residential Care Facilities caring for 6 or less clients. Please see the SFM website for a copy of these new regulations.
The SBSC requested that the SFM withdraw the proposed emergency regulations relating to Senate Bill (SB) 1361, and to work with both advocacy groups, the Department of Social Services, and the fire service to work-out differences of opinion. This bill relates to Adult Day Care Facilities and the installation of delayed egress devices and/or secure perimeter fences at centers caring for persons for Alzheimer’s and other Dementias for less than 24 hours a day.
SFM Code Recommendation
The State Board of Fire Services (SBFS) met on May 29 where oral and written comment was heard regarding the SBFS’s recommendation on their proposed choice of building and fire code. The SBFS voted 12-1-1 to recommend to Chief Tennant, the NFPA 5000 and NFPA 1. Chief Tennant did not vote.
On June 11, 2003 four of the State agencies, State Fire Marshal (SFM), Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development (OSHPD), Division of State Architect (DSA) and Housing Community Development (HCD) made presentations before the Building Standards Commission Code Change Committee to offer their recommendation of code choice between ICC and NFPA as a base model code for the California Building and Fire Codes. The recommendations were as follows:
Agency Code Recommendation
SFM NFPA 5000 (Building Code) and NFPA 1 (Fire Code)
OSHPD IBC
DSA IBC
HCD IBC
No other State agency made a recommendation on the fire code other than SFM. During the July 16 meeting the Building Standards Commission heard from each state agency, the two code purveyors along with testimony from interested parties. The CBSC will vote on the issue during an upcoming Commission meeting.
NEXT COMMISSION MEETING SCHEDULED FOR:
Resources Building
1416 Ninth Street, First Floor Auditorium
Sacramento, CA 95814
July 29, 2003
10:00 a.m.