SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA FIRE PREVENTION OFFICER’S

FIRE CODE COMMITTEE

April 6, 2004

In Attendance:

Laura Blaul - Orange County Fire

Janet Baylor - Anaheim Fire

Gary Cunger - OSHPD

Tom Groseclose- Orange Fire

John Haberek - LA County Fire

Christina Jamison- Ventura County Fire

Ken Krause - LA City Fire

Diedre Locati- Corona Fire

Ricky Lewis - LA County Fire

Jim Pettigrew - Ontario Fire

Status Reports

CBSC

Christina spoke with Stan who stated:

• Code issue may be revisited
• Copyright issues are not yet resolved (adding language from other codes to NFPA docs)
• Direction on maintaining an equivalent level of safety complicates process
• He proposed a timeline at the last CBSC meeting but the Commission took no action
• Suggested bringing current codes up to date – CalBO proposing update to structural regs and State agencies to proposed revisions by August.

State Agencies

• OSHPD – concerned with structural provisions. Staff did work on NFPA 5000 (Chapters 19 and 20) and sent to SFM. There are also statutory issues where NFPA is more restrictive than what is in State code and the conflict needs to be resolved (legislative change or make NFPA less restrictive).

Stakeholders

• No activity known on any review work taking placed. Discussion on pending CBSC, CDF, and SFM appointments and impact.

Committee Alternatives and our Options

• Continue with comparison using attached format and workgroups
• Work on other stuff until the decision is made (may know final decision by July)
• Throw in the I-codes and compare them both to T-24 so we’re more ready for either choice
• Work only on local issues related to NFPA codes (as NFPA and State agencies only working on state adopted stuff)

Provisions in current T-24 needing revision

• Standpipes (contradicts NFPA 14)
• Non-amb adults in day care facilities – need sprinklers
• Conflicts between T-19 and T-24 (tents, explosives, fireworks)

Action Items

• Priority 1: Come up with proposed amendments to current T-24 for submission to SFM (Gary taking standpipes; Laura taking conflicts; John and Christina taking petition items related to legislation)….need to ask membership for other areas and coordinate with NorCal.
• ID major areas for amendment to I and N codes – workgroups.
• Bedridden regs (AB 1896) – probably emergency package in September. Can’t support due to support proposed legislation (AB 2065).
• AB 2065 support? Requiring sprinklers in all R-2s for 6 or less is good but other stuff in bill is a bit restrictive. Also requires fire alarms and 1-hour construction and applies to all clients regardless of ambulatory status. Yes, need to support the entire bill and allow negotiation.
• Adult day care regs? Submit our alternate to rulemaking process (Christian lead
• Keep watch on changes at state level impacting codes and be ready to brief Chiefs.
• Watch NFPA 1 and 5000 for changes we feel are should be addressed – Karyn and Ken to help.
• Develop code development timeframes for NFPA Standards – Ken to come up with matrix.

Next month meeting on May 5 - work on R-1 occupancies….bring Project Code Comparison and all codes (NFPA, ICC and T-24). 

Respectfully submitted,

Laura Blaul