PROPOSED AMENDments to CHAPTER 9.60 OF THE rmc ESTABLISHING LIABILITY FOR FIRE AND COMMUNITY AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT EXTRAORDINARY CITY SERVICES OR RESPONSES Safety, Wellness, and Youth Committee
July 16, 2025
Community & Economic Development; Fire
Chapter 9.60 established liability for false police reports and extraordinary police services.
The purpose of the proposed amendment is to hold owners and occupants of certain businesses and properties responsible, for extraordinary use of fire and community and economic development services and responses.
The purpose of the proposed ordinance is to also recover all the costs expended in responding to and investigating false reports of an emergency or other criminal offense. background
City of Riverside Police, Fire, and Community and Economic Development Departments provide normal services, to residents and business owners of the City, which are funded through tax dollars and principally paid from the general fund or user fees.
Departments are frequently called upon to provide services and respond to emergency incidents that exceeds what they normally provide or that are otherwise covered by user fees.
Extraordinary services arise when Departments are called upon to respond to emergency incidents that exceeds what they normally provide or that are otherwise covered by user fees. background
Proposed amendments to Chapter 9.60 include:
Community and Economic Development Department: Included in this chapter entail Code Enforcement and Building and Safety Divisions.
Dangerous properties. If a building or property is determined by the Building Official or Fire Marshall to be uninhabitable due to a dangerous condition existing on the property, and the and property is posted by the City as “Do Not Occupy,” or equivalent, the property owner is liable for costs of emergency fire, medical, police, and public utility responses to the property, including without limitation the expenses of fighting a fire, which are determined by the Fire Chief, Police Chief, or Building Official to have been caused by or attributed to, in whole or part, the dangerous condition. This section shall only apply if the City notified the property owner of the dangerous condition prior to the response per the applicable code.
DISCUSSION
Proposed amendments to Chapter 9.60 include (cont.):
Emergency incident includes responding to: a hazardous material incident or emergency; an illegal fire; a threat of harm to oneself or others; any person obstructing, removing, tampering with or otherwise damaging any fire hydrant or city fire appliance; a structure demolition or utility line failure; water rescue attempts; a bomb threat; or any other incident where emergency medical, public safety, police, or community and economic development services are necessary.
Extraordinary fire service or response is defined as the response of fire/EMS crews to an Emergency Incident or Dangerous Properties; the response of fire/EMS crews to five or more false medical alarms within a one-year period; and the response of fire/EMS crews to the same property or business four or more times within a 30-day period.
DISCUSSION
Proposed amendments to Chapter 9.60 include (cont.):
Extraordinary code enforcement service or response, occurs after the issuance of the second or more administrative citations, for an identical violation(s) at the same business or property.
DISCUSSION
That the Safety, Wellness, and Youth Committee:
Receive this report summarizing proposed amendments to Chapter 9.60 of the RMC.
Review and discuss the proposed amendments.
Recommend that City Council adopt the proposed amendments. recommendations