CITY COUNCIL STAFF REPORT
March 18, 2025 {{section.number}}d
ADOPTION OF “A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF CORONADO, CALIFORNIA, ACCEPTING THE 2024 CALENDAR YEAR STATE MANDATED FIRE INSPECTION COMPLIANCE REPORT FROM THE CORONADO FIRE DEPARTMENT" RECOMMENDATION:
Adopt a Resolution acknowledging receipt of the 2024 calendar year State mandated fire inspections report.
BACKGROUND:
Existing State law requires municipal fire departments to enforce the California Fire Code as adopted. As part of this responsibility, fire departments are required to perform annual inspections of every building used as a public or private school, as well as all apartment houses, hotels, motels, lodging houses, and jails/detention facilities for compliance with adopted Fire Codes.
On December 2, 2016, the deadly Ghost Ship Fire occurred in Oakland, California. This fire struck in a warehouse that had been converted into an artist collective, where the tenants lived and worked. Ultimately, 36 people lost their lives in the fire. In response to the Ghost Ship Fire, a series of investigative reports and articles revealed that many of the required fire and life safety inspections were not being performed by the local fire department. To provide assurances that fire departments are performing the mandated inspection duties, SB 1205 was authored requiring the reporting of certain inspection statistics to the local governing board. This bill passed and was signed by the Governor in September 2018 and is codified in California Health and Safety Code Section 13146.4.
This report and resolution are being submitted to comply with the reporting requirements of California Health and Safety Code Section 13146.4. The report is for inspections completed during the 2024 calendar year.
ANALYSIS:
The Coronado Fire Department continues to enhance its fire prevention program by expanding fire and life safety inspections across various occupancy classifications. It is important to note that single-family and two-family residential properties are not routinely inspected by the department, as the applicable law pertains only to residential properties with three or more units.
In February 2023, the Fire Department hired a three-quarter time (0.75 FTE) civilian Fire Prevention Aide to conduct inspections of all mandated Residential (R-2) properties. This strategic addition supported by the City Council resulted in the successful completion of inspections for 94% of these properties in 2023.
In accordance with the Health and Safety Code, the fire department is also required to conduct annual inspections of every building used as a public or private school, hotels, motels, lodging houses, and jails/detention facilities. In 2023, the department achieved an overall compliance rate of 86% for all state-mandated inspections.
To further strengthen the fire prevention program, the City Council supported the Fire Prevention Aide’s conversion from three-quarter to full-time status (1.0 FTE) in July 2024, with expanded inspection responsibilities covering all mandated occupancies. These include 274 R-2 properties, 12 schools, 17 hotels, and one jail, for a total of 304 properties.
For the 2024 calendar year, the department successfully completed 445 inspections, including safety evaluations of large tents, firework displays, hazard complaints, special events, and business occupancies to ensure compliance with California State Fire Codes. These inspections resulted in the identification of 1,159 fire code violations. The total number of mandated inspections completed was 304, achieving a 100% compliance rate with state requirements.
The following table summarizes the number of mandated inspections completed in the calendar year 2024, by occupancy type.
Occupancy Type Example Quantity Complete
Educational E Schools (public and private) 12 12
Institutional I-3 Jails/Detention Facilities 1 1
Residential R-1 Hotels / Motels 17 17
Residential R-2 Apartment / Condos 274 274
Looking ahead, the Coronado Fire Department remains committed to fulfilling its obligations under the California Health and Safety Code by continuing all required inspections. Additionally, the department will expand its services for non-mandated inspections in accordance with departmental policy.
The next compliance report for the 2025 calendar year will be provided in Spring 2026. This timeline aligns with the annual reporting process within the budget cycle and ensures adherence to the requirements of California Health and Safety Code Section 13146.4.
FISCAL IMPACT:
The costs associated with the required inspections and reporting consist of staff time. The California Health and Safety Code specifically explains that the inspecting fire department may charge and collect a fee which shall be in an amount enough to pay the costs of that inspection or related fire and life safety activities. Currently, the City does not charge a fee associated with the completion of these State mandated inspections.
ALTERNATIVE:
Reject the report and return it to the Fire Department with direction.
CALIFORNIA ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY ACT:
Not a project under CEQA.
PUBLIC NOTICE:
No notice required.
ATTACHMENTS:
1. Resolution No. 2025-09
Submitted By: Fire Department / Chief Summers