4.9 Findings
DOMESTIC WATER
• The City’s water entitlements are sufficient to serve the entire city (including future expansions of the city limits) and provide water to other local water purveyors in need of additional water supply.
• The total capacity of the City’s water treatment plants is currently approximately 360 mgd.
However, due to Hodge constraints affecting the Fairbairn WTP and intake constraints at the Sacramento River WTP, the total reliable capacity of the two surface water treatment plants is currently approximately 260 mgd. Additional treatment capacity is needed to meet projected future water demands. Currently the City is exploring an option to expand the Sacramento River WTP to be able to meet projected future water demands. Another option the City is exploring is River Arc which is in early planning stages. The City will determine the option or combination of options that provides the most reliable supply for the City to meet projected future water demands.
• The City has identified a new conjunctive use program that will develop and protect existing groundwater supplies for increased use during dry periods. These wells would be used less frequently during periods where the available surface water supply is robust. The groundwater well system provides the City with needed flexibility in providing domestic water. To enhance this flexibility, the City anticipates expanding its groundwater pumping capacity in the future. However, the City’s existing groundwater wells have an average age of 54 years, thus the City will also need to make investments to rehabilitate or replace these aging wells to maintain a reliable capacity.
• Deficiencies were identified in the 2013 Master Plan throughout the City. Depending on the additional treatment plant capacity supply option that the City decides to develop, additional transmission pipelines will be needed to convey the supply.
WATER SUPPLY
See Section 4.4 for potable water related findings.
SOLID WASTE
• The City collects all residential waste within the city limits. This includes all residences of one to four attached units and all condominiums, regardless of number of units. • All solid waste picked up by the City for disposal is transported to the Sacramento Recycling and Transfer Station and the Sacramento County North Area Recovery Station for sorting, where remaining waste is then hauled to the Sacramento County Kiefer Landfill.
• Kiefer Landfill is the primary municipal solid waste disposal facility for private haulers. The Kiefer Landfill received over 884,000 tons of waste in 2017 and has a remaining capacity of
78.5 million cubic yards.
• The City offers multiple programs including biweekly curbside recycling, weekly garden refuse pickup, one appointment-based annual neighborhood cleanup for each household, and a dump coupon for each household as well.
• The City has met or exceeded the State’s annual per capita disposal rate per resident and employee since the State established the targets in 2007.
ELECTRICITY
• SMUD provides electrical service to the City of Sacramento. SMUD is a leading utility in procuring renewable power, and has significant large hydro resources. The largest source of SMUD’s generated power is from natural gas facilities. In addition, SMUD has completed 98.5 MW of local solar contracts through a Feed-In Tariff and an addition to the Solar Wind Project.
• The City requires all new development of residential and nonresidential buildings to comply with the 2019 California Green Building Code standards. • The City has taken leadership on a number of energy efficiency initiatives. The updated CAP establishes a goal to attain a 33% reduction in municipal GHG emissions by 2020 through efforts such as lighting retrofits and expansion of ZEV infrastructure. • SMUD’s Integrated Resource Plan establishes a goal of achieving net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2040. From 2020 to 2040, investments would total over $1.5 billion in electrification and energy efficiency.
NATURAL GAS
• PG&E supplies natural gas to the Sacramento area. During the winter, most natural gas is imported from Canada, and the balance is supplied from California production wells.
TELECOMMUNICATIONS
• Telecommunications within the city of Sacramento are provided by multiple companies with a variety of services.
• Telecommunication facility improvements are generally made as the need arises to meet customer demand.
• Telecommunications companies are providing private investments to expand City infrastructure.
DISADVANTAGED UNINCORPORATED COMMUNITIES
• There are several areas within the Sacramento Sphere of Influence that satisfy both the parcel density and low-income thresholds necessary to be considered a fringe DUC, including Rosemont/La Riviera, Arden-Arcade/North Highlands and Fruitridge Pocket/Lemon Hill/Parkway/Florin Area.
TECHNICAL BACKGROUND REPORT
• State law requires that cities and counties assess whether there are infrastructure and service deficiencies within identified DUCs for sewer, water, and structural fire. If deficiencies are identified, cities and counties must identify potential funding sources that could make the extension of services to the identified DUC financially feasible.
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5 Public Services
The Public Services Chapter describes existing services available to residents of the Policy Area, including police and fire protection, parks and recreational facilities, civic and government facilities, libraries, schools, health facilities, and human services.
5.1 Police Protection
INTRODUCTION
This section identifies the police protection service providers for the Policy Area, and describes staffing levels and equipment, staffing standards, the number and types of calls received, and crime prevention programs. Information for this section is based upon the 2017 Sacramento Police Department Annual Report, and conversations with City staff regarding police services, including support provided by the County Sheriff.
EXISTING CONDITIONS
Police protection services are provided by the Sacramento Police Department (SPD) for areas within the city, and by the County Sheriff’s Department for areas outside the city but within the Policy Area. Detailed information regarding each of these departments is provided below. In addition to SPD and Sheriff’s Department, the California Highway Patrol, UC Davis Medical Center Police Department, Los Rios Community Colleges Police Department, Twin Rivers Unified School District Police Department, California State University – Sacramento Police Department, and the Regional Transit Police Department provide police protection within the Policy Area.
City
As shown in Figure 5-1, SPD operates from the following four stations in the city of Sacramento (City of Sacramento 2018a):
• Sacramento Fire Department and Sacramento Police Department Headquarters: Public Safety Center, Chiefs Deise and Kearns Building (5770 Freeport Boulevard) • North Area: William J. Kinney Police Facility (3550 Marysville Boulevard) • South Area: Joseph E. Rooney Police Facility (5303 Franklin Boulevard) • Central and East Commands: Richards Police Facility (300 Richards Boulevard)
The North Area Substation provides police services to the northern portion of the city, from the American River on the south to the city limits on the west, north, and east. The South Area Substation provides police protection services to the southern portion of the city, from Highway 50 on the north to the city limits on the west, south, and east. The Central/East Substation provides police response to three main beats in the central portion of the city bounded by the American River to the north, Highway 50 on the south, the Sacramento River on the west, and the city limits on the east.
Headquarters supports the North Area Substation, Central Command, and South Area Substation by providing administrative support, crime prevention education, and other law enforcement duties.
Currently, the SPD is staffed by 686 sworn personnel, 29 academy recruits, 291 professional staff and 144 non-career staff. As of Fiscal Year 2019/20 (FY2019/20), SPD is authorized to staff 747 sworn positions and 323.46 professional staff positions. [Personnel Services Division, SPD, 2019] Table 5-1: SPD Department Sworn Staffing Levels
Personnel
Fiscal Year 2019/20
Authorized Number of Employees Filled Number of Employees (2019) Chief 1 1
Deputy Chief 3 3
Captain 11 9
Lieutenant 23 22
Sergeant 92 89
Officer 617 560
Total Sworn 747 684
Source: Personnel Services Division. 2019.
SPD maintains a variety of equipment to serve the city. In addition to patrol cars, firearms, and other traditional police equipment, modern police departments increasingly rely on technology systems. Maintaining and updating these systems has become an important aspect of equipment management for SPD.
The average SPD response time and workload between 2012 and 2018, as measured by the number of calls for service, are presented in Table 5-2 below. The urgency of the call is reflected in its priority level. Priority calls are listed in descending order. The SPD does not have an adopted response time standard (SPD Crime Analysis Unit 2019).
As indicated in Table 5-2, the Communications Center’s workload has increased 35% since 2012.
This increase occurred despite an automated call routing system that provides callers with detailed information about SPD’s services and offers direct transfer options to other city resources.
Sacramento’s 311 system also handles informational calls but many still come into the Communications Center. The Department’s online presence is helpful as Sacramento citizens can now research helicopter activity, find appropriate phone numbers, and file crime reports online (Grady pers. comm. 2019). On average, less than half of the calls received at the Communications Center resulted in an officer being dispatched (SPD CAU 2019). Table 5-3 shows the calls for service received by SPD in 2018.
TECHNICAL BACKGROUND REPORT
Table 5-2: SPD Response Times 2012-2018
Year Priority Response Time Total Incoming/Outgoing Phone Calls 2012
P2 8:34
624,918
P3 9:51
P4 17:53
P5 21:02
P6 41:53
2013
P2 8:44
625,784
P3 10:15
P4 20:18
P5 24:02
P6 48:43
2014
P2 9:33
617,931
P3 10:44
P4 26:04
P5 30:37
P6 53:01
2015
P2 9:37
648,629
P3 10:50
P4 28:43
P5 34:02
P6 1:02:50
2016
P2 9:57
761,562
P3 11:20
P4 27:40
P5 32:51
P6 1:07:04
2017
P2 00:10:00
843,153
P3 00:11:24
P4 00:30:43
P5 00:36:03
P6 01:15:22
2018
P2 00:09:53
556,883
P3 00:11:30
P4 00:33:40
P5 00:38:03
P6 01:07:45
Source: CAU & Communications Center, SPD: 9/16/19
Table 5-3: SPD Workload 2018
Type of Call Number of Calls Received
911 Calls 286,270
7-digit emergency and non-emergency calls 345,551
Total Incoming/Outgoing Phone Calls 843,153
Source: SPD CAU, 2019
Table 5-4: 2018 Median Response Times
Priority 2 Priority 3 Priority 4 Priority 5 Priority 6
Average Response Time
(hours: minutes:
seconds) 00:09:42 00:11:17 00:33:32 00:37:57 01:07:04
Source: SPD Crime Analysis Unit 2019
Table 5-5: City of Sacramento Crime Statistics Comparison for 2017-2018 Type of Crime
Number of Crimes
2017 2018 Number Change Percent Change
Homicide 39 36 -3 -7.69%
Rape 99 102 3 3.03%
Aggravated Assault 2,140 2,139 -1 -0.05%
Robbery 1,100 1,052 -48 -4.36%
Burglary 2,888 2,751 -137 -4.74%
Larceny 9,077 9,783 706 7.78%
Motor Vehicle Theft 2,718 2,883 165 6.07%
Total 18,061 18,746 685 3.79%
Notes:
1. Table shows information for each calendar year.
2. Crime statistics are based on UCR as defined by the FBI.
Source: SPD Crime Analysis Unit. 2019.
Crime Statistics
In 2018, there were 308,159 citizen-initiated calls for service and 14,077 arrests (SPD CAU 2019).
Table 5-4 shows the median response times for Priority 2 through 6 calls for 2018. Response time data is subject to change as classifications of the priorities change due to periodic review and analysis as well as variances in the filters that may be applied. In general, the priority number corresponds to the seriousness of the incident with Priority 1 involving officer-initiated emergency
TECHNICAL BACKGROUND REPORT
requests for help. Priority 2 calls include in-progress homicides, rapes, and robberies, whereas Priority 6 calls include errand calls, business checks, and some report calls.
Table 5-5 provides SPD’s crime statistics for 2017 and 2018 and shows that crime rates are similar for the two years (Ellis pers. comm. 2019). The SPD has continued to maintain its Crime Suppression Unit (CSU), which focuses on robberies and burglaries, and Gang Enforcement Team (GET) which focuses on reducing gang-related activities.
Mutual Aid Agreements
SPD maintains mutual aid agreements as part of a statewide emergency response system. Locally, SPD has police security contracts to provide specialized police staff to Regional Transit (RT), area hospitals, and school districts within the city.
The RT Police Department is comprised of sworn staff from SPD and the Sacramento Sheriff’s Department, and Folsom Police Department and is responsible for a variety of police-related services including: monitoring light rail stations, light rail trains, bus stops, buses, bus routes, regional transit riders and other associated transit needs with regards to safety. It also responds to crimes in progress, conducts criminal investigations, conducts Crime Prevention through Environmental Design (CPTED) reviews, drafts policies, and provides security. One (1) SPD Lieutenant is in command of RT police services which include the following (SPD 2017; RT 2018; Sacramento County 2018a; Steele pers. comm. 2019):
• Sacramento Police Department
- 1 Lieutenant
- 2 Sergeants
- 16 Police Officers
- 13 Sacramento Police Volunteers
• Sacramento Sheriff’s Department
- 1 Sergeant
- 5 Deputies
- 1 Rancho Cordova Police Officer
• Sacramento RT Employees
- 64 RT Transit Agents
- 6 Transit Officers
- 3 Transportation Supervisors
- 1 Superintendent
- 2 Administrative Staff
- 13 Video Technicians
- 3 Personal Services Contract Employees
- Other
- 1 Folsom Police Department Police Officer
- 8 Paladin Private Security Guards
SPD has three School Resource Officers (SRO) and one supervising Police Sergeant assigned to the Natomas Unified School District. SPD is currently working with the Sacramento City Unified School District to reinstate a team of SRO’s to serve the district. The primary function of the SRO is ensuring the overall safety of staff and students, youth mentoring, and providing community engagement opportunities as members of the Sacramento Police Community Engagement Unit.
SRO’s are first responders to calls for police service at schools, the surrounding areas and business communities where calls involve students traveling to and from campus. They routinely handle matters in elementary, middle and high schools. SRO’s work in partnership with school administrators, security staff and faculty on developing comprehensive safety plans to ensure schools are safe places for students to learn. SROs are available during normal school hours and assist with afterschool activities that occur during nights and some weekends. [Source: Sergeant Doug Morse, Outreach & Engagement Unit, SPD]
Homeland Security
The SPD’s Homeland Security Division, managed by one (1) Lieutenant, is responsible for conducting regional threat and vulnerability assessments, developing regional and agency terrorism response plans, coordinating and conducting regional interdisciplinary terrorism response training, designing and coordinating training exercises, and organizing volunteers to assist with disaster situations (City of Sacramento 2015). The Division also coordinates with the Central California Intelligence Center, the City of Sacramento Office of Emergency Services, and the Terrorism Liaison Officer Program.
Incarceration Facilities
The City uses jail facilities operated by the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Department. The Sacramento County Main Jail (651 I Street), which provides custodial and security services for incarcerated and detained individuals for the Sheriff’s Department and other outside agencies, is the only incarceration facility located within the Policy Area (Sacramento County 2018e). Because the City does not have its own booking facilities, all arrestees must be taken to the Sacramento County Main Jail for booking. The SPD has indicated it will need its own booking facilities for increased efficiency as Sacramento continues to grow and is currently researching the feasibility of constructing a Pre-Arraignment facility in the future. The Department has temporary holding facilities at its major stations.
TECHNICAL BACKGROUND REPORT
Projected Needs
The SPD does not have any currently funded projects for the remodeling or construction of facilities, although there is a need to both remodel existing facilities and construct new facilities (City of Sacramento 2018a). As the city grows in the south and north areas and traffic congestion correspondingly increases, SPD needs to continue to decentralize to maintain adequate response times to areas near the city’s borders. Specifically, SPD does not have a presence in the northern and southern areas, nearing the city limits, or in Sacramento’s downtown. New police facilities, with adequate staffing and equipment, will be required as build out occurs. SPD has identified the need for a permanent facility in the downtown core and two substations in the Meadowview/Valley Hi/Delta Shores area of South Sacramento and the Natomas area of North Sacramento. Adequate staffing requires both sworn and professional staff with technical abilities to support the Department’s services (SPD Office of the Chief 2019).
SPD has gradually increased the number of police officers hired from 2012 through 2016. However, the number of sworn and civilian employees remained fewer than the Department was authorized for during these years. Although authorized personnel levels have increased, filling those positions has remained a challenge for SPD. At the end of 2016, SPD was 78 officers below authorized staffing (SPD PSD 2017).
Sphere of Influence and Other Areas
The Sacramento County Sheriff’s Department, Elk Grove Police Department, Rancho Cordova Police Department, and Citrus Heights Police Department also provide services to areas around the city. As shown in Figure 5-1, the Sheriff’s Department serves the Policy Area with the following substations (Sacramento County 2018b).
• Sheriff’s Department: The sheriff’s headquarters are located downtown at 711 G Street.
Nine stations are located in various areas of the County, including Florin (7000 65th Street), Garfield (5510 Garfield Avenue), Dewey (5484 Dewey Drive), Marconi (2500 Marconi Avenue), Rio Linda (6730 Front Street), Rancho Cordova (2897 Kilgore Road), Rancho Murieta (15160 Jackson Road), Walnut Grove (14160 Grove Street), and Wilton (9800 Dillard Road).
As of 2012, the Sheriff’s Department is staffed by 722 non-sworn and 1,411 sworn employees, as detailed in Table 5-6 (Sacramento County 2018a).
Using the 2018 DOF population estimate for unincorporated Sacramento County, which represents the Department’s service area, and the staffing levels listed above, the officer to resident ratio for Sacramento County is approximately 2.37 officers per 1,000 residents (DOF 2018).0F 1 1Calculation is based on the California Department of Finance unincorporated Sacramento County population of 588,798
City of Sacramento Police
Sacramento Sheriff
California Highway Patrol
Sacramento City Limit
Sphere of Influence
Policy Area
Water
Source: City of Sacramento Community Development Department, 2018; Sacramento City Police Deptartment, 2019 Z:\Projects\j1149901\MAPDOC\TBR\Section 5 Public Services\Figure5-1_Police.mxd 0 0.5 1 2 Mile
Figure 5-1
Police Stations and Facilities
TECHNICAL BACKGROUND REPORT
Table 5-6: Sheriff’s Department Sworn Staffing Levels
Personnel Number of Employees
Sheriff 1
Undersheriff 1
Chief Deputy 4
Captain 12
Lieutenant 51
Sergeant 171
Deputy Sheriff 1,103
Deputy Sheriff Recruit (RA) 50
Total Sworn 1,393
Source: Sacramento County Fiscal Year 2018-19 Adopted Budget, 2018.
Table 5-7 County of Sacramento Crime Statistics, 2017
Type of Crime Number of Crimes
Homicide 32
Rape 154
Robbery 772
Aggravated Assault 1,654
Burglary 2,492
Auto Theft 187
Larceny 6,545
Arson 58
Total 11,894
Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation. Uniform Crime Reports, https://ucr.fbi.gov/crime-in-theu.s/2017/crime-in-the-u.s.-2017/tables/table-10/table-10-state-cuts/california.xls, 2017.
Crime Statistics
Crime Statistics for the Sacramento County Sheriff Department in 2017 are presented in Table 5-7 (FBI 2017).
Crime Prevention
The Sheriff’s Department provides residents with many education materials and programs to help residents to protect themselves, their families, and their neighborhoods (City of Sacramento 2015).
The Department offers the following crime prevention programs:
• Child Safety
• Community Crime Prevention
• Conflict Resolution/Anger Management
• Cyber Crime
• Don’t be a Victim (Personal and Home Safety)
• Juvenile Crime
• Neighborhood Watch
• School Safety
• Sexual Assault
• Substance Abuse (Drugs, Alcohol, and Tobacco Abuse)
• Teens at Risk
Homeland Security
The Sheriff’s Department is a partner in the Sacramento Regional Homeland Security Task Force and provides a link to Federal homeland security programs.
Incarceration Facilities
Sacramento County has two incarceration facilities. The Sacramento County Main Jail, located at 651 I Street, can accommodate up to 2,400 inmates (Sacramento County Sheriff 2018e). The Rio Cosumnes Correctional Center is the primary custody facility for inmates sentenced to County Jail from the Sacramento County Courts. An increasing percentage of the inmates are pre-sentence detainees housed at RCCC to keep the population at the Main Jail below the limit set by Federal decree. In addition, the RCCC houses inmates en-route to other jurisdictions, Federal prisoners under a contract with the U.S. Bureau of Prisons, and reciprocal prisoners from other counties.
RCCC is the primary reception point for parole violators who are being held pending revocation hearings and the central transportation point for all defendants sentenced to State Prison. The RCCC can accommodate 1,600 inmates. In 2010, Rio Cosumnes closed two of its eight housing facilities due to budget constraints.
REGULATORY CONTEXT
Federal
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is an intelligence-driven and threat-focused national security and law enforcement organization that protects and defends the United States against terrorist and foreign intelligence threats, upholds and enforces the criminal laws of the United States, and provides leadership and criminal justice services to Federal, State, municipal, and international agencies and partners. The FBI also gathers, shares, and analyzes intelligence to support its own investigations and those of its partners and to better understand and combat the security threats facing the United States.
TECHNICAL BACKGROUND REPORT
State
California Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) The Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) advocates for, exchanges information with, sets selection and training standards for, and works with law enforcement and other public and private entities. POST was established by the Legislature in 1959 to identify common needs that are shared by representatives of law enforcement.
Local
Sacramento City Code
Chapter 2.20 of the Sacramento City Code sets forth the guidelines for SPD and includesregulations regarding the powers and duties of the Chief of Police and the Police Department.
5.2 Fire Protection
INTRODUCTION
This section provides information on the existing fire and emergency services within the Policy Area. Current staffing, equipment, response goals, and adopted standards for these services are described, along with their ability to meet the needs of Sacramento. This section focuses on urban fire prevention and suppression; wildland fire hazards are discussed in Section 7.3, Fire Hazards, of this document. Information for this section is based on the Sacramento Fire Department 2016 Annual Report, Sacramento Fire Department Fiscal Year 2018/2019 Budget, and conversations with staff from the Sacramento Fire Department (SFD) and the Sacramento Metropolitan Fire District (Metro Fire).
EXISTING CONDITIONS
The SFD is a full-service fire department, with the responsibility for responding to and mitigating incidents involving fires, medical emergencies, hazardous materials, technical and water rescue within its service area. The department also provides a full range of support services including fire prevention, public education, fire investigation, and domestic preparedness planning and response.
The SFD’s operational mission and objective is to save lives, conserve property, and minimize environmental impact. To help meet this objective, SFD also participates in an automatic aid agreement with neighboring fire jurisdictions, as well as state and federal agencies.
The SFD provides fire protection services to the entire city which includes approximately 99.2 square miles within the existing city limits, as well as two contract areas that include 47.1 square miles immediately adjacent to the city boundaries within the unincorporated county (SFD 2017).
Contracted areas within SFD’s jurisdiction include the Pacific/Fruitridge and Natomas Fire Protection Districts.
City
SFD Headquarters operates from the Public Safety Center, located at 5770 Freeport Boulevard. This facility is also the headquarters for the Sacramento Police Department.
As shown in Figure 5-2, First Due Engine District is comprised of a collection of BARB zones of which the respective responding unit is closest to, from the fire station. A BARB zone is a small geographic region with a center point used to determine distance from fire stations. BARB zones originate from the fire dispatch CAD system.
As shown in Figure 5-2, 24 fire stations are strategically located throughout the city to provide assistance to area residents and businesses. Although each fire station operates within a specific response district encompassing the immediate geographical area around the station, all of the Sacramento County fire agencies (Sacramento Fire Department, Sacramento Metro Fire District, Sacramento International Airport Fire, Cosumnes Fire District, and the Folsom Fire Department) share an automatic aid agreement, known as boundary dropping, which means that the closest fire unit responds regardless of jurisdiction.
All SFD Engine companies, are staffed with four personnel consisting of a Company Officer (Captain), Engineer, and two Firefighters. Truck companies and one Rescue company are also staffed with four personnel consisting of a Company Officer (Captain), Engineer, and two Firefighters. Ambulances are staffed with two Firefighter/Paramedics or a Firefighter/Paramedic and Firefighter/EMT combination.
SFD also deploys a number of support vehicles from the 24 fire stations that are cross-staffed by the Engine or Truck personnel. Cross-staffing means that one or more personnel will move from the Engine or Truck to operate the support unit. The different support units have different crossstaffing requirements.
When the department is fully staffed, 173 personnel are on duty for fire and EMS first responder emergencies and 34 of these personnel are on duty for emergency ambulance transportation daily (Narramore pers. comm. 2019).
A list of SFD fire stations and the type of apparatus deployed from each fire station is provided in Table 5-8 (SFD 2017).
Del Paso Blvd
Raley Blvd
Land ParkDr
Grand Ave
Northborough Dr
J St
Sheldon Rd
N 16Th St
K St
Northgate B vl d
39Th St
43Rd Ave
N St
Sutterville Rd
Arden Way
Stockton Blvd
Rush River Dr
Cosumnes River Blvd
Q St
Richards Blvd
Marconi Ave
Natomas Centra l Dr
Riverside Blvd
Bruceville Rd Elder Creek Rd Franklin Blvd
Clu b Center Dr
Auburn Blvd
Rio Linda Blvd
Windbridge Dr
Jackson Rd
Valley Hi Dr
24Th St
El Camino Ave
59Th St
Havenside Dr
La Riviera Dr
Fair Oaks Blvd
X St
American River Dr
Mcki nley Blvd
Elvas Ave
21St St
Fulton Ave
Power Inn Rd
Norwood Ave
Eastern Ave
Grove Ave
I Street Brg
Center Pkwy
Freeport Blvd
Danbrook D r
Broadway
19Th St
45Th St
Watt Ave
65Th St
16Th St
29Th St
12Th St
9Th St
10Th St
30Th St
15Th St
Alhambra Blvd
Gr eenhaven Dr
Florin Rd
H St
Hovn anian Dr
Truxel Rd
Marysville Blvd
Main Ave
Ethan Way
W El Camino Ave
CollegeTown Dr
Brookfield Dr
RegencyPark Cir
Engle Rd
13Th St
Gloria Dr
47Th Ave
Seamas Ave
Cottage Way
Ha rv a rd St
Pocket Rd
Roseville Rd
Walnut Ave
E Stockton Blvd
L St
Tower Brg
Westlake Pkwy
Capitol Mall
Arena Blvd
Edison Ave
Kiefer Blvd
Mission Av e
French Rd
W St
Television Cir
C St
I St
P St
5Th St
3Rd St
Bridgecross Dr
65Th Street Expy
San Juan Rd
Azeved o Dr
Alta Arden Expy
S Watt Ave
Northrop Ave
Howe Ave
Meadowview Rd
Silver Eagle Rd
Exposition Blvd
Del Paso Rd
Curtis Dr
Elk Grove Florin Rd
Elsie Ave
Fruitridge Rd
Munroe St
N Bend Dr
N 12Th St
Gateway Park Blvd
Natomas Blvd
Bell Ave
Calvine Rd
Mack Rd
46Th St
W Elkhorn Blvd
N Market Blvd
Elkhorn Blvd
Gerber Rd
S Land Park Dr 14Th St
Florin Perkins Rd
American River
E CommerceWay Folsom Blvd
Big Horn Blvd
Levee Rd
Hurley Way
35Th Ave
Arden Garden
N Park Dr
E Levee Rd
Laguna Blvd
Lone Tree Rd
Metro Air Pkwy
Power Line Rd
El Centro Rd
Hedge Ave
Garden Hwy
City of Sacramento Fire Department Facility
Sacramento Metropolitan Fire Facility
Sacramento City Limit
Policy Area
Sphere of Influence
Water
Figure 5-2
Fire Stations and Facilities
Source: Sacramento County GIS, 2020; City of Sacramento, 2019; Dyett and Bhatia, 2020 J:\GISData\563_Sacramento\GIS\Projects\_ECR\FireStations.mxd 0 ½ 1 2 Mile
OFFICE OF
EMERGENCY
OPERATIONS
Deputy Chief
EMERGENCY
MEDICAL
SERVICES
Assistant Chief
FIRE CHIEF
TRAINING
Assistant Chief
LOGISTICS
Assistant Chief
OFFICE OF
RISK REDUCTION
Deputy Chief
HUMAN
RESOURCES
Staff Aide
(Management)
FIRE
PREVENTION
Fire Marshal
SUPPORT
SERVICES
Support Services
Manager
OFFICE OF
RESOURCE
MANAGEMENT
Deputy Chief
SPECIAL
OPERATIONS
Assistant Chief
SPECIAL
PROJECTS
Program
Specialist
Wellness/Fitness
EVOC
In-Service
Fire Academy
Wellness/Fitness
EVOC
In-Service
Fire Academy
SACRAMENTO FIRE DEPARTMENT
ORGANIZATIONAL CHART
FACILITIES
OUTREACH &
RECRUITMENT
Assistant Chief
CERT
US&R
HazMat Mitigation
Technical Rescue
Water Rescue
CERT
US&R
HazMat Mitigation
Technical Rescue
Water Rescue
SHIFT
COMMAND
Roll Call
Reserves
Public Information
Communications
Utility Shop
Code Enforcement
Inspections
Development
Fire Investigations
Public Education
Code Enforcement
Inspections
Development
Fire Investigations
Public Education
Budget
Accounts Payable
Accounts
Receivable
Grants-US&R
Contracts
Procurement
Council Reports
Budget
Accounts Payable
Accounts
Receivable
Grants-US&R
Contracts
Procurement
Council Reports
Payroll
Benefits
Workers’ Comp
Outreach
Recruitment/Hiring
Personnel Records
Payroll
Benefits
Workers’ Comp
Outreach
Recruitment/Hiring
Personnel Records
Custodian of
Records
Performance
Measurement
Policy/Audit
Coordination
Grants-AFG
Master Plan/SOC
Custodian of
Records
Performance
Measurement
Policy/Audit
Coordination
Grants-AFG
Master Plan/SOC
Professional
Standards
MQAO
CQI
INFORMATION
TECHNOLOGY
FLEET
Shift A
Shift B
Shift C
Shift A
Shift B
Shift C
DIVISION MANAGER
DEPUTY CHIEF
Units/Functions
KEY
Coordinated With
Other City Depts
Figure 5-3
Sacramento Fire Department
Data Source: City of Sacramento 2018e
Figure 5-3
Sacramento Fire Department
TECHNICAL BACKGROUND REPORT
Table 5-8: Fire Station Facilities and Equipment
Station No. Address Battalion Equipment
1 624 Q Street 1 Engine, Medic
2 1229 I Street 1 Engine, Truck, Medic, Boat
4 3145 Granada Way 1 Engine
5 731 Broadway 1 Engine, Truck, Boat
8 5990 H Street 1 Engine, Medic, Boat
14 1341 N. C Street 1 Engine
15 1591 Newborough Dr 1 Engine
6 3301 M. L. King Blvd 2 Engine, Truck, Medic
10 5642 66th Street 2 Engine, Truck, Medic
12 4500 24th Street 2 Engine, Medic
561 3720 47th Avenue 2 Engine, Medic
60 3301 Julliard Drive 2 Engine
31 7208 W. Elkhorn Blvd 3 Engine, Grass Unit
17 1311 Bell Ave 3 Engine, Truck, Medic
181 746 N. Market St 3 Engine
19 1700 Challenge Way 3 Engine, Medic
20 2512 Rio Linda Blvd 3 Engine, Medic, Rescue
30 1901 Club Center Dr 3 Engine, Truck, Medic, Hazmat
43 4201 El Centro Road 3 Engine, Truck, Medic
7 6500 Wyndham Dr 4 Engine, Truck, Medic, Hazmat
11 785 Florin Road 4 Engine, Medic, Boat
13 1100 43rd Avenue 4 Engine
16 7363 24th Street 4 Engine, Truck
571 7927 East Parkway 4 Engine, Medic
1. Stations located in contracted areas, not within city limits.
Source: Fire Department Annual Report, 2016; Sacramento Fire Department, 2017; Tunson, pers. comm. 2019.
Planning for New and Remodeled Facilities
In 2006, the City’s General Services Department conducted a study to assess SFD’s fire station facilities. The study indicates that the Department should plan for the relocation of Stations 4, 18, and 60, and the rebuilding of Stations 10, 15, and 57. In 2011 SFD opened Fire Station 43 at 4201 El Centro Road (City of Sacramento 2015). SFD has indicated new fire stations planned for Delta Shores, the Railyards, and Metro Air Park, as well as a possible re-opening of Station 99 (formerly Station 9) (Tunson, pers. comm. 2019). In addition, the department is planning for additional administrative, logistics and training facilities. At this time, no funding has been identified.
Organizational Structure
The Fire Chief, who is appointed by the City Manager, leads the Sacramento Fire Department which is comprised of various divisions organized into three offices: Office of Emergency Operations, Office of Resource Management, and Office of Community Risk Reduction.
The Office of Emergency Operations is responsible for the management of emergency response resources. Divisions within the Office of Emergency Operations include:
• Shift Operations: The primary goal of the Shift Operations Division is to protect life, property and the environment. The division is staffed with well-trained personnel and technical teams with highly specialized skill sets and tools to meet the wide-ranging emergency demands of the City. At the direction of the Fire Chief, the Deputy Chief of Emergency Operations oversees three Shift Assistant Chiefs. The Shift Assistant Chiefs are responsible for the day to day activities performed by the line personnel. On a daily basis, the division staffs 23 Type 1 fire engines, 10 ladder and heavy rescue trucks, at 24 stations, which are divided into 3 battalions. Each Type 1 engine and truck is staffed with 4 persons except for 1 engine which is staffed with 3 persons. The SFD also has two Type I Hazmat teams and one Type I Heavy Rescue team, which are both cross staffed. Additionally, the Shift Operations Division has four boats, three Type 3 engines, five Type 4 engines, and one water tender, which are cross staffed. Battalion Chiefs coordinate all of the activities at an emergency scene. With 3 Battalion Chiefs, 17 ALS ambulances and 1 EMS captain, the daily operational staffing is 173 personnel. The current work schedule is a 48/96 shift rotation (Narramore pers. comm. 2019).
• Special Operations: The Special Operations Division manages the Hazardous Materials, Domestic Preparedness, Technical Rescue and Urban Search and Rescue Programs. The HAZMAT Program is responsible for emergency hazardous materials response in the Sacramento area. The Department also staffs a regional Technical unit that enables the agency to address emergencies involving high angle rescue, confined space entry, trench and excavation collapse incidents, structure collapse and a myriad of technical search capabilities. In addition to the rescue boats, Rescue and Engine 20 are staffed with qualified rescue swimmers for in water-surface rescue. The Department is also the sponsoring agency for California Urban Search and Rescue Task Force 7 (CA TF-7), one of 28 Urban Search and Rescue (US&R) Task Forces in the nation, and one of eight in California. Task Force personnel and equipment can be used locally as well as for state and federal deployments and provide collapse rescue, heavy rigging, logistics, hazardous materials and medical response, communications, canine search teams, technical search, and planning.
TECHNICAL BACKGROUND REPORT
• Training: The Training Division supports the Department by facilitating ongoing drills and exercises that reflect the real-life experiences encountered in the field by firefighting crews. Programs within the Training Division include: E.V.O.C. (Emergency Vehicle Operations Course; the Fire Academy; and a Physical-Fitness/Health & Wellness Program.
The Training Division is located at 2409 Dean St in McClellan Park in Sacramento County.
The Office of Resource Management is responsible for the logistics and technological support of the Department. Divisions within the Office of Resource Management include:
• Logistics: The Logistics Division provides operational support and oversight in functional areas of station supplies and inventory management, emergency medical supplies, along with issuing and managing a care and maintenance program for firefighter personal protective equipment.
• Information Technology: The Office of Community Risk Reduction is responsible for providing support to operational personnel through the management of programs that include:
- Emergency Medical Services: The Department has provided paramedic transport services since 1994. The EMS Division, in concert with other fire departments’ EMS divisions, participates in shaping pre-hospital care through collaboration with the Sacramento County EMS authority, local hospitals, and community organizations. The EMS Division facilitates the delivery of Basic Life Support (BLS) and Advanced Life Support (ALS) first responder and transportation services. All SFD Firefighter/Paramedics are licensed by the State of California EMS Authority and accredited with SCEMS. Firefighter/EMTs are certified by SCEMS. All accreditation, certification and licensing are in accordance with Division 2.5 of the Health and Safety Code, the California Code of Regulations, Title 22, Division 9, and EMSA policies 2040 and 2050. All SFD Engine and Truck Companies are utilized as EMS first responders and staffed with Firefighter- EMTs and/or Firefighter- Paramedics. Every first responding unit is at least (BLS) capable. Depending on daily staffing, most of the units provide Advanced Life Support (ALS) paramedic services. Medic units (ambulances) typically operate from their assigned fire stations and primarily cover their designated area. Due to the workload, medic units are frequently dispatched to calls outside their area. SFD currently deploys seventeen 24-hour ALS ambulances and up to three flex ALS ambulances when additional staffing and equipment are available. Each ambulance is staffed by two Firefighters, with at least one also being a licensed Paramedic. - Fire Prevention: The Fire Prevention Division performs inspections of businesses and occupancies as mandated by state and local ordinances, and investigates all major fires occurring within the Fire Department’s jurisdiction. There are four focus areas:
Fire Development (inspects new or repaired fire protection systems requiring a fire construction permit), Annual Fire Permits (inspects existing occupancies required to have an operational permit and those required by the California Health and Safety Code to be inspected on an annual basis), Fire Code Enforcement (responds to complaints regarding fire and life safety code violations) and Fire Arson Investigation
(investigates all major fires and makes arrests of persons responsible for unlawful actions related to fire).
In addition to divisions under the Department’s three offices, the SFD includes three divisions not assigned to any office, described below:
• Fiscal Services: The Fiscal Services Division is responsible for administering SFD’s finances including the budget and procurement processes, accounts payable and receivable, and grants. The Division also manages contracts and council report submittals. The Division is managed by a civilian Support Services Manager.
• Human Resources: The Human Resources Division is responsible for a variety of activities such as fulfilling staffing needs, hiring employees, verifying employment, recruiting, guiding managers, and ensuring personnel and management practices conform to various policies and procedures set by the City of Sacramento, local, state and federal agencies. • Special Projects: The Special Projects Division is responsible for an assortment of programs and projects as determined by the Fire Chief. Responsibilities include administering the department website, various grants, and special studies; processing records requests; and coordinating a volunteer program, public education, and community events.
• Communications. The Sacramento Regional Fire/EMS Communications Center (SRFECC) is a Joint Powers Authority (JPA) with the following members: Cosumnes Community Services District Fire Department, Sacramento Fire Department, Sacramento Metropolitan Fire District, and the City of Folsom Fire Department. In addition, SRFECC also provides contract dispatch services for Courtland Fire Protection District, Herald Fire Protection District, Isleton Fire Department, River Delta Fire Protection District, Walnut Grove Fire Protection District, and Wilton Fire Protection District (SRFECC 2018).
SRFECC provides enhanced 911 call answering, emergency medical dispatch, computer-aided dispatch, Motorola 800 MHz Trunked Radio coverage, and state-certified fire dispatch training courses for the member and contract agencies. In 2016, SRFECC dispatched 193,987 calls from member agencies and received 415,922 calls in total (SRFECC 2017). The distribution of calls by member agency is shown in Table 5-9.
TECHNICAL BACKGROUND REPORT
Table 5-9: SRFECC Dispatches
Agency Call Volume (Number) Call Volume (Percent)
Sacramento City Fire Department 86,957 44.82%
Sacramento Metro Fire District 84,496 43.56%
Consumnes Fire District 16,077 8.29%
Folsom Fire Department 6,457 3.33%
TOTAL 146,259 100.00%
Source: Sacramento Regional Fire/EMS Communications Center, Comprehensive Annual Financial Report for the Fiscal Year End, June 2017.
Incidents
Table 5-10 provides a breakdown of the incidents responded to by the SFD in 2016.
Currently, fire incidents represent approximately 3.0 percent of all calls received by the SFD.
Although the number of structure fires represent a small percent of all calls, structural fire response requires the simultaneous performance of numerous critical tasks. The number of firefighters required to perform the tasks varies based upon the risk. The number of firefighters needed at a maximum high-risk occupancy event, such as a shopping mall or large industrial building, would be significantly higher than for a fire in lower-risk occupancy structures.
Table 5-10: 2012-2016 Incidents
Type of Incident Number of Calls
2012 2013 20141 2015 2016
Fire Calls 2,081 2,214 5,163 2,662 2,680
Explosions 315 389 - 373 414
Emergency Medical Services 46,571 44,567 61,007 49,451 50,755 Hazardous Condition Calls 552 550 941 574 693
Service Calls 3,182 3,730 121 4,344 4,936
Good Intent Calls 9,447 10,498 275 12,059 13,166
False Alarms 2,922 2,826 3 2,752 2,855
Natural Disaster 2 1 132 1 5
Special Calls 16 24 851 26 36
Mutual Aid & Other 6,165 - 8,372 7,223 8,235
GRAND TOTAL2 74,130 68,396 77,881 83,701 88,242
Notes:
1 Data categorized differently than that from reports for other years. 2 Grand total may include calls not listed under any “Type of Incident” category.
Source: Sacramento Fire Department, 2012, 2013 2014, 2015, 2016.
Given the large number of firefighters that are required to respond to a high-risk, high-consequence fire, fire departments increasingly rely on automatic and mutual aid agreements to address the fire suppression needs of their community.
These teaming arrangements are handled through automatic and mutual aid agreements, which are discussed in more detail in Section 7.6 Emergency Response.
Additional Considerations
The Critical Nature of Response Times. Loss of life and property are affected by the relationship between known fire behavior and fire department response times. Because of the varied fire conditions encountered during a structure fire, a common reference point has been identified so that comparisons and performance objectives can be set under equal conditions.
Flashover has been identified as the most critical point from a life safety and property conservation point of view. At this point, the escalation in fire conditions will challenge the department’s resources as well as the safety to its members.
Research by the NIST has determined that flashover will occur in a structure (with a fire left unchecked) in about eight minutes. The fire department’s objective is to arrive quickly enough, and with the proper resources, to interrupt the fire’s progression before to the point of flashover occurs.
Similar to fire flashover, Emergency Medical Service responses use a critical time point to determine the optimal time for the effective deployment of medical resources. This point in time is brain death, caused most often when a person’s heart has stopped beating and oxygen can no longer reach the brain.
The American Heart Association (AHA) recognizes that the brain begins to die in four to six minutes without oxygen and the survival rate drops significantly when the time exceeds four minutes to initiate defibrillation.
A patient’s survival rate is extremely low when the time to initiate defibrillation exceeds six minutes and damage is irreversible after 10 minutes. EMS interventions include early Cardio-Pulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) and electrical defibrillation. According to the AHA, defibrillation is the single most important factor for survivability of the cardiac arrest patient. Additionally, the AHA asserts that the earlier CPR is initiated the better the chance the patient has for survival.
The SFD has utilized the NFPA 1710 guidelines to evaluate department performance, though the response benchmarks have not been formally adopted. Below are the most recent published guidelines. The following is taken from section 4.1.2.3.3 of the 2016 edition, NFPA 1710:
TECHNICAL BACKGROUND REPORT
• Establish a performance objective of having an alarm processing time of not more than 64 seconds for at least 90% of alarms and not more than 106 seconds for at least 95% of alarms, • 80 seconds turnout time for fire and special operations response and 60 seconds turnout time for EMS response,
• 240 seconds (four minutes) or less travel time for the arrival of the first arriving engine company at a fire suppression incident and 480 seconds (eight minutes) or less travel time for the deployment of an initial full alarm assignment at a fire suppression incident, • 240 seconds (four minutes) or less travel time for the arrival of a unit with first responder with automatic external defibrillator (AED) or higher-level capability at an emergency medical incident,
• 480 seconds (eight minutes) or less travel time for the arrival of an advanced life support (ALS) unit at an emergency medical incident.
Insurance Service Office Rating
The Insurance Service Office (ISO) provides rating and statistical information for the insurance industry in the United States. To do so, ISO evaluates a community’s fire protection needs and services, and assigns each community a public protection classification rating. The rating is developed as a cumulative point system, based on the community’s fire-suppression delivery system, including fire dispatch (e.g., operators, alarm dispatch circuits, telephone lines available), fire department (e.g., equipment available, personnel, training, distribution of companies), and water supply (e.g., adequacy, condition, number and installation of fire hydrants). Insurance rates are based upon this rating. The lowest rating is a Class 10, while the best is a Class 1. Based on the type and extent of training provided to fire-company personnel and the city’s existing water supply, Sacramento currently has a Class 2 ISO rating (Narramore pers. comm. 2019).
Fire Threats
Major fires are generally classified either as an urban fire or a wildland fire. Generally, the fire season extends from early spring to late fall. Hazards arise from a combination of hot weather, an accumulation of vegetation, and low moisture content of the air. These conditions, if coupled with high winds and years of drought, can compound the potential impact of a fire.
Due to urban expansion into rural areas adjacent to and within Sacramento communities, these trends have increased the number of people living in heavily vegetated areas where wildlands meet urban development, also referred to as the wildland/urban interface. This trend is spawning a third classification of fires: the urban wildfire. The 2017 “Tubbs Fire” in the City of Santa Rosa and the 2018 “Camp Fire” in Butte County are examples of an urban wildfire. A fire along the wildland/urban interface can result in major losses of property and structures.
Generally, there are three major factors that sustain wildfires and allow for predictions of a given area’s potential to burn. These factors include fuel, topography, and weather. Certain areas in and
surrounding Sacramento County are extremely vulnerable to fires as a result of dense grassy vegetation combined with a growing number of structures being built near and within rural lands.
As with most wildfire vulnerability, it is the result of increased development encroaching into forested and dry grassland areas. In Sacramento County, grass and peat (partially carbonized vegetable matter, usually mosses, found in bogs and used as fertilizer and fuel) fires are the two main types of wildland fires. Grass fires are an annual threat in the unincorporated areas of the county, especially within recreational areas such as the American River Parkway.
Urban Wildfire Hazard. Although structural fires can occur in any developed areas within the city, there are two areas in particular that SFD has identified that are especially susceptible to this hazard.
In particular, the non-sprinklered commercial buildings in the Downtown area and dwelling units in lower socio-economic areas appear to be more susceptible to fires. Due to the age of the structures, older building standards and fire codes were applied, non-fire-resistive construction materials were used, and no current internal sprinklers or other fire safety systems are in place.
Wildland Fire Hazard. Generally, Sacramento is a developed city and has relatively few remaining wildland areas. However, some areas of the city have been identified as susceptible to an urban wildfire. The areas are generally located along the American River Parkway from Watt Avenue to the Sacramento River and along the Garden Highway in the Natomas area.
The American River Parkway is a stretch of dense trees and brush on both sides of the American River. The property is owned by the County and City of Sacramento, the State of California, and private parties, maintained by the Sacramento County Parks Department, and protected from fire by SFD. The area consists of natural habitat with natural and man-made fire break areas. Access for fire equipment is provided by paved stretches of the bicycle path and service/emergency roads.
Some of the potential fire areas are not accessible to vehicular traffic. The following locations appear particularly vulnerable:
• Watt Avenue West to Business 80 (Capital City Freeway). This area has been the scene of a number of fires. The University Avenue section of Sacramento is heavily populated and could be affected by a similar fire along this stretch of the American River Parkway. • The section of River Park on the south side of the river across from Bushy Lake. This area is densely populated and could become an exposure risk should a fire occur in the area of Paradise Beach or along the bicycle path. The roof coverage in this area consists primarily of untreated wood shake and could contribute to the spread of a fast-moving fire. • Northgate Boulevard along the American River Parkway. In 1992, a wildland fire occurred in this area, and extended into a commercial building. This fire could have resulted in a major urban wildfire condition.
Disaster and Emergency Preparedness
As explained in further detail in Section 7.6 Emergency Response, the City’s Office of Emergency Management (OEM) is responsible for disaster planning. This office provides intra/inter-agency coordination for disaster planning, presentations on disaster preparedness to public service
TECHNICAL BACKGROUND REPORT
organizations, coordination in the preparation and execution of disaster exercises. In 2018, disaster preparedness, planning, response, recovery, and mitigation are the focus of OEM’s planning efforts (City of Sacramento 2018c).
In addition, training for residents within the city continues through the Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) program which is administered by SFD. CERT training promotes a partnering effort between emergency services and the people that they serve. The goal is for emergency personnel to train members of neighborhoods, community organizations, or workplaces in basic response skills. CERT members are then integrated into the emergency response capability for their area. The continued development of the community’s disaster preparedness efforts will aid the residents of Sacramento in an area wide disaster.
Standardized Emergency Management System (SEMS)
Emergency response in every jurisdiction in California is handled in accordance with SEMS, with individual City agencies and personnel taking on their responsibilities as defined by the City’s Emergency Plan. Section 7.6 Emergency Response further discusses SEMS and describes the different levels of emergencies, the local emergency management organization, and the specific responsibilities of each participating agency, government office, and City staff.
Automatic Aid
The City of Sacramento maintains an Automatic Aid agreement with Sacramento County and the California Office of Emergency Services. The countywide agreement can transition from automatic aid to mutual aid. Under the automatic aid agreement, all calls are routed through a central dispatch center and the nearest resource responds to the call. As shown in Figure 5-2, Automatic Aid participation within the Policy Area at times includes the Sacramento Metropolitan Fire District.
REGULATORY CONTEXT
Federal
U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration
In 1970, Congress passed the Occupational Safety and Health Act, creating the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) under the United States Department of Labor. OSHA sets and enforces workplace standards and provides training, outreach, education, and assistance. The Federal and State Occupational Health and Safety Regulations mandate that firefighters cannot enter a burning structure that is past the small fire stage without four firefighters, with one team of two inside and the other team of two outside. The only exception to this rule is when there is a known life in danger.
State
California Occupational Safety and Health Administration In accordance with California Code of Regulations, Title 8 Sections 1270 “Fire Prevention” and 6773 “Fire Protection and Fire Equipment”, the California Occupational Safety and Health Administration (Cal OSHA) has established minimum standards for fire suppression and emergency medical services. The standards include, but are not limited to, guidelines on the handling of highly combustible materials, fire hosing sizing requirements, restrictions on the use of compressed air, access roads, and the testing, maintenance and use of all firefighting and emergency medical equipment.
California Fire Code
The California Fire Code (Part 9 of the California Code of Regulations, Title 24, also referred to as the California Building Standards Code) prescribes regulations relating to construction, maintenance, and use of buildings. Topics addressed in the code include fire department access, fire hydrants, automatic sprinkler systems, fire alarm systems, fire and explosion hazards safety, hazardous materials storage and use, provisions intended to protect and assist fire responders, industrial processes, and many other general and specialized fire-safety requirements for new and existing buildings and the surrounding premises. The Code contains specialized technical regulations related to fire and life safety. The most recent edition of Title 24 was published on July 1, 2019, with an effective date of January 1, 2020.
California Health and Safety Code
State fire regulations are set forth in Sections 13000 et seq. of the California Health and Safety Code, including regulations for building standards (as also set forth in the California Building Code), fire protection and notification systems, fire protection devices such as extinguishers and smoke alarms, high-rise building and childcare facility standards, and fire suppression training.
Insurance Services Office
The Insurance Services Office (ISO) provides rating and statistical information for the insurance industry in the United States for all types of industries, including fire service, on risk management.
The ISO recommends that initial response fire engine stations are spaced 1.5 miles apart and ladder trucks are spaced 2.5 miles apart, leading to a three to four and seven to eight minute travel time, respectively.
Local
Sacramento City Code
Chapter 2.24 of the Sacramento City Code sets forth guidelines for SFD and includes such regulations associated with the powers and duties of the fire chief and the general organization of