City Council Memorandum
TO: HONORABLE MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL DATE: SEPTEMBER 15, 2026 FROM: KEVIN SHIN, FIRE MARSHAL WARDS: ALL SUBJECT: RECEIVE AND FILE THE CITY OF RIVERSIDE FIRE DEPARTMENT ANNUAL FIRE INSPECTION COMPLIANCE REPORT FOR STATE MANDATED INSPECTIONS PURSUANT TO SENATE BILL 1205 AND CALIFORNIA HEALTH AND SAFETY CODE SECTION 13146.4.
ISSUE:
Local fire departments are mandated under California Health and Safety Code Sections 13146.2 and 13146.3 to conduct annual fire inspections of all public and private schools, hotels, motels, lodging houses, apartment and condominium buildings, highrise buildings, and jails. Additionally, California Health and Safety Code Section 13146.4 enacted through Senate Bill (SB1205), requires agencies to submit an annual compliance report to their administering authority. This report provides the City Council with confirmation of the City of Riverside Fire Department’s compliance with SB 1205 and documents the completion and effectiveness of statemandated annual fire inspections conducted within the City of Riverside.
RECOMMENDATIONS:
That the City Council receive and file the Riverside City Fire Department’s Annual Fire Inspection Compliance Report, confirming the Department’s compliance with state‑mandated annual inspection requirements for identified occupancies pursuant to California Health and Safety Code Section 13146.4.
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
On September 27, 2018, Senate Bill 1205 went into effect, adding new requirements to the California Health and Safety Code. The legislation mandates that every fire department or fire protection district annually report to its administering authority on its compliance with Statemandated fire inspection requirements. SB 1205 further requires the administering authority to formally acknowledge receipt of this compliance report through a resolution or other official action. The report must be presented when the administering authority considers its annual budget or at another time determined by that authority.
BACKGROUND:
The passage of Senate Bill 1205 in 2018 was driven in part by concerns raised following the 2016 Ghost Ship warehouse fire in Oakland, which resulted in 36 fatalities and revealed significant gaps in local fire inspection programs, documentation, and oversight. Subsequent investigations found that many jurisdictions across the state were not consistently completing or tracking Statemandated annual fire inspections, and governing bodies were not routinely informed of inspection compliance. SB 1205 was enacted to address these deficiencies by requiring fire departments to annually report their inspection compliance to their administering authority and requiring the authority to formally acknowledge receipt of the report. This legislation was intended to increase transparency, improve accountability, and prevent tragedies stemming from uninspected or unsafe occupancies.
DISCUSSION:
The Fire Prevention Division is staffed with a total of 21 personnel who support the City of Riverside Fire Department’s life safety mission. The Division is led by one Fire Marshal and supported by two Deputy Fire Marshals who oversee core programs and operational functions. Technical plan review services are provided by two Fire Plan Check Engineers, while field inspection and code enforcement activities are carried out by twelve Fire Inspectors assigned across various inspection programs. Four Administrative Support staff provide essential clerical, customer service, and program coordination functions necessary for daily operations. This staffing structure enables the Division to effectively manage plan review, inspections, code compliance, permitting, community risk reduction, and other preventionfocused responsibilities throughout the city. As a result, the Division is able to effectively administer fire prevention programs, conduct plan reviews, enforce the California Fire Code and local ordinances, and complete the state-mandated inspections established under California Health and Safety Code Sections 13146.4 and 13146.2.
Pursuant to California Health and Safety Code Section 13146.4, the Riverside Fire Department is required to report annually on the completion of mandated fire and life safety inspections for specified occupancy types. During the reporting period, the Department achieved a 100 percent inspection completion rate for all required occupancies.
The required inspections include the following occupancy categories:
High-Rise Occupancies: 11 occupancies
Educational (E) Occupancies: 167 occupancies, including public and private schools and daycare facilities Residential (R) Occupancies: 2,545 occupancies, including hotels, motels, apartments, and condominiums Correctional Occupancies: 1 occupancy, including jails and detention facilities Care Occupancies: 32 occupancies, including residential care facilities, hospitals, and healthcare facilities Along with an additional 19,560 inspections listed below, for a grand total of 22,305 inspections completed.
Defensible Space: 13,091 Completed / 94 Violations Notices Below is a breakdown of inspections by Ward:
Ward 1: 0 invoices
Ward 2: 52 Violation Notices; 24 Fees Paid; 28 Fees Unpaid; 9 Reinspected Passed; 43 Reinspected Not Passed Ward 3: 0 Violation Notices
Ward 4: 14 Violation Notices; 4 Fees Paid; 10 Unpaid; 1 Reinspected Passed; 13 Reinspected Failed Ward 5: 0 Violation Notices
Ward 6: 21 Violation Notices; 8 Fees Paid; 13 Fees Unpaid; 4 Reinspected Passed; 17 Reinspected Failed Ward 7: 8 Violation Notices; 3 Fees Paid; 5 Fees Unpaid; 1 Reinspected Passed; 7 Reinspected Failed Annual Fire & Life Safety: 4,948 Completed
AB-38 Inspections: 110 Completed
Hazardous Materials Inspections: 1,411 Completed
FISCAL IMPACT:
There are no fiscal impacts associated with receiving this report.
Prepared by: Kevin Shin, Fire Marshal
Approved by: Steve McKinster, Fire Chief
Certified as to
availability of funds: Julie Nemes, Finance Director
Approved by: Edward Enriquez, Assistant City Manager/Chief Financial Officer Approved as to form: James Johnson, City Attorney
Attachment: RFD SB1205-2026 PPT
SB 1205 ● Page 3