Monthly Report
California State Fire Marshal
March 2003

Code Enforcement

Statutes and Regulations Course

• The Monterey Workshop was very productive with a lot of positive networking. In addition to other SFM related classes, we presented the SFM Statutes and Regulations Class to 45 students during the week. We received many good evaluations and comments on the course. It will now be open to the public with classes being held in both the North and the South. Locations and dates remain to be determined. 

Fire and Life Safety Building Standards Advisory Board

• The newly established SFM Fire and Life Safety Advisory Board held its first meeting on February 26^th in conjunction with the Board of Fire Services. The morning meeting was a joint meeting with both groups having separate meetings in the afternoon. This board is an advisory board to the State Fire Marshal and is established pursuant to Title 19, California Code of Regulations. Board members of the SFM Fire and Life Safety Advisory Board are appointed by the State Fire Marshal. Information on this Board can be found on the SFM website at http://osfm.fire.ca.gov 

Code Interpretations

• SFM continues to receive requests for code interpretations, of which will be followed by a timely response. Remember to follow the directions for requesting an interpretation, which are outlined on our website. Specifically, if a fire department wishes to request a code interpretation, the request should come from either the Fire Marshal or Fire Chief. Interpretation requests from other department staff will be sent back for re-submittal. Keep your questions simple and comprehensive and stay away from providing scenarios (i.e., what is this, what if that, and if this is that, what about the other). Please keep it simple which will better facilitate the process.

 Status of the SFM Health Services Contract

SFM is currently training staff of the Department of Health Services (DHS) staff to conduct Life Safety Code surveys in Skilled Nursing and Intermediate Care facilities. SFM is training exclusively on the requirements of NFPA #101. This is all that DHS will enforce. The intent is to turn over the program to DHS and be out of our contract by June 30, 2003. This will allow the SFM to provide better service to the fire community by enabling SFM to concentrate on its statutory responsibilities.

Code Development and Analysis Division

Fire Safe Planning

The Urban Wildland Interface Building Standards (UWIBS) code development project is underway. The SFM is working in cooperation with state and local agencies, industry and other interested parties to develop exterior building standards for structures located in wildfire prone areas. The next workshop regarding the development of the UWIBS regulations will be held at the SFM headquarters on April 4, 2003. For more information about this project please visit the SFM’s website at http://osfm.fire.ca.gov/UWIBS.html.

Staff are currently working together with the statewide Fire Safe Council, the Office of Emergency Services and CDF Public Education to produce an update to the "Fire Safe Inside and Out" video program. This is a valuable public education tool that will be widely distributed and broadcasted to increase fire safety and awareness statewide.

Staff is coordinating these efforts with the Fire Alliance member agencies to develop integrated exhibits and materials for the upcoming Disaster Resistant California Conference in April 2003, which is sponsored by Office of Emergency Services (OES). The themes and materials developed from this effort will also be used for Wildfire Awareness Week in May 2003.

TITLE 19

• As a result of a SFM submittal package to Office of Administrative Law (OAL) regarding T-19 regulation changes, OAL has approved the change ofD Occupancies to R-2 and R-6 Occupancies.

• The proposal to change the 1979 Uniform Fire Code reference to the 2000 edition was delayed to address fire department concerns regarding Appendix G (UFC 1979) and test procedures for standpipe systems. A new fire code proposal will be sent to the Fire Prevention Officers’ Association after the code comparison project is completed.

• The proposal to submit a single fire drill package to OAL will now be split into three separate packages in that the original proposal concerned three separate types of buildings, those that are high-rise buildings, as well as those used for schools and adult day care centers. 

TITLE 24

• The SFM has completed 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 fewer clients. The "R-2 Bedridden" advisory committee held its last working session on February 24, 2003 which produced the final "draft" regulations to be submitted to the SFM Fire and Life Safety Building Standards Advisory Board (FLSAB) for review. On February 26, 2003 the FLSAB made a recommendation to approve these regulations.

• The SFM has completed the proposed emergency regulations relating to Senate Bill (SB) 1361. The subject of this bill regards Adult Day Care Facilities that may want to install delayed egress devices and or secure perimeter fences at centers caring for persons with Alzheimer’s and other Dementias for less than 24 hours a day. The FLSAB made a recommendation to approve these regulations.

• The SFM will be presenting the following regulations to the CBSC at their regularly scheduled meeting on May 14, 10:00 a.m. at the Department of Consumer Affairs, 400 R Street, First Floor Hearing Room, Sacramento, CA:

• SB 1896 – Amendments to the 2001 California Building and Fire Code
• SB 1361 – Amendments to the 2001 California Building and Fire Code

 The SFM wishes to thank the two working groups that devoted many hours to the development of the regulations for SB 1896 and SB 1361.

• The SFM continues to attend the meetings of the CBSC, Coordinating Council to participate in the CBSC discussions relating to the model code selection process for the 2004 Triennial Code Adoption Cycle. The next meeting is held on April 2, 2003, at 10:00 a.m. at the Department of Consumer Affairs, 400 R Street, First Floor Hearing Room, Sacramento.

• The CBSC met on March 19, 2003 to approve the state agencies proposed rulemaking for the 2002 Annual Code Adoption Cycle. The CBSC unanimously approved the SFM’s proposed rulemaking on the following subject matters:

• SFM 3/02 – Amend Title 24, Part 2 relating to the swing of patient room doors in health care facilities.

• SFM 1/02 - Adopt and amend for Title 24, Part 3, the 2002 National Electrical Code.

• SFM 2/02 – Amend Title 24, Part 9 relating to alarm initiating devices in designated portions of Group I, Divisions 1.1, 1.2 2 Occupancies.

The CBSC will ratify their actions of the March 19, 2003 meeting and at the May 14, 2003 meeting as well to announce a possible publication date of the California Electrical Code (CEC).

 IMPORTANT NOTE:

These actions by the CBSC will affect all local jurisdictions in California relative to the effective date of the CEC and the local jurisdiction desiring to amend the CEC with their local ordinances. Pursuant to Health and Safety Code Section 18941.5(b) a city, county, or city and county wishing to amend the CEC with their local ordinances may do so in order to establish more restrictive building standards that are based on the local climatic, geological, or topographical conditions of their jurisdiction.

CAIRS

• The SFM converted to the NFIRS format for statistical reporting for incidents occurring on or after January 1, 2003. The new program is called CAIRS, California All Incident Reporting System. SFM staff has been busy validating National Fire Incident Reporting System (NFIRS) back data submitted to the office from 1999 to the present.

• As of March there are 165 Fire Departments reporting NFIRS. As a federal mandate, 187 Fire Departments awarded grants by the FEMA Fire Fighters Assistance Program are required to report fire data to NFIRS. Only half of those departments are reporting as of March, so anticipation of growing numbers is expected after the first quarter of this year.

• We continue to have the ability to offer ad-hoc reports on the statistical data collected in CFIRS format for the past 10 years.

Operation Code Comparison

Operation Code Comparison was a joint effort between the SFM and Cal Chiefs FPO’s, consisting of 10 task groups that completed technical comparisons of the provisions found within the California Codes and the ICC and NFPA building and fire codes. The work is complete and the Demobilization Meeting was held yesterday.

The final document will be submitted to the SFM Fire and Life Safety Advisory Board (FLSAB) for review at its meeting on April 17, 2003. It will also be posted on the website in advance of this meeting.

The SFM wishes to thank those who spent numerous hours with this very important project.

Fire Engineering

 The Fire Engineering Division is currently processing renewals for the following licensing programs: Fireworks, Flame Retardant and the Building Materials Listings Program.

The Building Materials Listing Program (BML) would like to inform the local FPO’s that they may access copies of all of the BML listings to assist them in the plan review of fire alarm systems and equipment. The website may be accessed at osfm.fire.ca.gov/bml.html.