City Council
Report
City Council Meeting: October 14, 2025
Agenda Item: 4.E
1 of 3
To: Mayor and City Council
From: Matthew Hallock, Fire Chief, Fire Department
Subject: Adoption of a Resolution on the SB 1205 Annual Fire Inspection Report Recommended Action
Staff recommends that the City Council:
1. Adopt a finding that the report is not a “project” subject to the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA); and
2. Adopt a resolution acknowledging receipt of a report on the status of statemandated annual fire inspections in the City of Santa Monica pursuant to California Health and Safety Code Section 13146.4.
Summary
California Health and Safety Code Section 13146.4 requires that each fire department performing annual inspections under Sections 13146.2 and 13146.3 submit an annual report to its administering authority (City Council) on its compliance. These sections mandate the Fire Department to conduct annual inspections of all public and private schools, hotels, motels, lodging houses, and all apartment and condominium buildings.
The purpose of the annual fire inspections is to mitigate known hazards, reduce risks to the community, and ensure reasonable compliance with the California Fire Code. The Fire Department completed annual fire inspections of these facilities for FY 2024-25. A resolution to accept the City’s FY 2024-25 annual fire inspections report is included as Attachment A.
Discussion
After the tragic 2016 “Ghost Ship Fire” in Oakland, the State of California enacted SB 1205 on September 27, 2018, to amend California Health and Safety Code by adding 2 of 3
Section 13146.4. This new section is a reporting requirement to ensure each fire department’s compliance with the annual inspections mandated in Sections 13146.2 and 13146.3. The Fire Department submits the FY 2024-25 annual fire inspections report to the City Council and a resolution acknowledging receipt of the report.
Acceptance of the report and the resolution fulfills the statutory requirements contained in California Health and Safety Code Sections 13146.2, 13146.3, and 13146.4, as amended by SB 1205.
The California Building Code also specifies that condominiums should be considered apartments for building code application. An apartment shall consist of three or more attached units and excludes all duplex-style buildings. In FY 2024-25, the Fire Department inspected 3,925 apartment/condominium buildings with three units or greater.
During FY 2024-25, the Fire Department conducted 4,103 state-mandated annual inspections under California Health and Safety Code Sections 13146.2, 13146.3, and 13146.4, as shown in the table below.
Occupancy
Type
Inspections
Completed
Total Number Percentage
Completed
Schools Public 44 44 100%
Schools Private 133 133 100%
Jails SMPD PSF 1 1 100%
Multi-Family
Residential Three Units + 3,925 3,925 100%
Total Inspections Completed 4,103
The Fire Department also conducted 4,079 other types of annual inspections shown in the table below.
Occupancy Type Inspections
Completed
Total
Number
Percentage
Completed
Assemblies, Institutions, Hospitals 264 268 98%
3 of 3
Highrise 82 82 100%
Underground Storage Tanks 34 34 100%
New Construction Plan Review and
Inspections 1,964 1,964 100%
Business and Mercantile 1,735 3,902 44%
Total Inspections Completed 4,079
Environmental Review
The reporting of Fire and Life safety annual inspections is not a “project” subject to CEQA. The reporting is administrative in nature and provides updates of SMFD annual inspections. Pursuant to CEQA Section 21065, the reporting does not meet the definition of a “project” subject to CEQA as it will not “cause either a direct physical change in the environment, or a reasonably foreseeable indirect physical change in the environment.” Additionally, per Section 15378(b) of the CEQA Guidelines, a “project” does not include organizational or administrative activities of governments that will not result in direct or indirect physical changes in the environment. Therefore, the report is not subject to CEQA.
Financial Impacts and Budget Actions
There is no immediate financial impact or budget action necessary as a result of the recommended action.
Prepared By: Jonathan Tang, Principal Administrative Analyst Approved Forwarded to Council
Attachments:
A. RESO-Fire-Annual Fire Inspection Report 10.14.2025