City of Sacramento
Law and Legislation Committee Report
915 I Street Sacramento, CA 95814
www.cityofsacramento.org
File ID: 2022-01909 11/15/2022 Consent Item 5.
Ordinance Amending Sacramento City Code Chapter 15.36 - Relating to Fire Code File ID: 2022-01909
Location: Citywide
Recommendation: 1) Review an Ordinance amending Chapter 15.36 of the Sacramento City Code relating to the California Fire Code; and 2) pass a Motion forwarding to City Council for consideration.
Contact: Jason Lee, Fire Marshal, (916) 808-1620, [email protected], Fire Department Presenter: Not Applicable
Attachments:
1-Description/Analysis
Additional Description/Analysis
Issue Detail: The State of California recently adopted the 2022 California Fire Code (Title 24 of the California Code of Regulations) making it necessary to amend the City Code to ensure consistency with State law. The proposed ordinance will amend the City Code to reflect the 2022 California Fire Code. Making local amendments to the 2022 California Fire Code reasonably necessary due to the local climatic, topographical, or geological conditions.
Every three years the City must amend the City Code to align with the California Fire Code. The adopted 2022 California Fire Code will go into effect on January 1, 2023. The local fire code adopts fire and life-safety provisions and recognized good practices to provide a reasonable level of life- safety and property protection from the hazards of fire and dangerous conditions in new and existing buildings. Addtionally, local fire codes provide safety to firefighters and emergency responders during emergency operations. The added sections (311.4 to 311.6) include the adoption of standard regulations in the removal of hazardous waste materials from vacant buildings; and notification signage/placarding of vacant structures.
Policy Considerations: The proposed amendments are consistent with the City’s operating principle to promote safety, livability, and economic vitality. The City is obligated to ensure that City Code reflects State law.
File ID: 2022-01909 11/15/2022 Consent Item 5.
Economic Impacts: None.
Environmental Considerations: This report concerns administrative activities that do not constitute a “project” under CEQA and the State CEQA Guidelines, California Code of Regulations, Title 14, Sections 15061(b) (3) and 15378(b) (2).
Sustainability: Not applicable.
Commission/Committee Action: None.
Rationale for Recommendation: These amendments to the City Code are an integral part of local efforts to provide a reasonable level of life safety, property protection, and provide safety to firefighters and emergency responders during emergency operations. The adoption of the 2021 International Fire Code provisions were not adopted by the State, however the adoption of these code amendments ensures that locally general fire safety and enforcement regulations are reviewed and updated.
Financial Considerations: The local amendments to the California Fire Code will not result in costs to the City.
Local Business Enterprise (LBE): Not applicable.
Background
By State law, California’s Building Standards Commission must adopt regulations concerning building and fire safety while local agencies are allowed to adopt amendments to that code for the purpose of mitigating several factors unique to their locale. In 2022, the California Building Standards Commission adopted a new California State Fire Code based on the 2021 International Fire Code (IFC). That new code will be effective on January 1, 2023. To be consistent with that implementation, the attached ordinance repeals existing City fire codes and amendments, and adopts:
· The 2022 California Fire Code (CFC)
· Provisions of the 2021 IFC that were not adopted by the State · Local amendments to the CFC
A copy of the 2022 California Fire Code is available for viewing at the City Clerk’s Office. Those sections of the 2021 International Fire Code not adopted by the State include sections concerning local code enforcement and general fire safety (i.e., trash, vegetation, etc.). These sections are not normally adopted by the State, nor are they within the State’s jurisdiction.
The local amendments were developed in cooperation with the following fire agencies including, but not limited to, Folsom, Roseville, Consumnes, Sacramento Metropolitan Fire and are comparable to those in the proposed 2022 Sacramento County Fire Code.
File ID: 2022-01909 11/15/2022 Consent Item 5.