Chapter 8.32
FIRE PREVENTION SYSTEMS
Sections:
8.32.020 Purpose of provisions.
8.32.030 Occupancy requirements.
8.32.040 Water supply for new subdivisions.
8.32.050 Water supply and fire flow requirements-- Required when.
8.32.060 Automatic sprinkler systems and alarms-- Requirements.
8.32.070 Automatic sprinkler systems--Right to appeal requirements.
8.32.080 Automatic sprinkler systems--Decision on appeal.
8.32.090 Fire alarm systems--Defined--Required.
8.32.100 Piping for residential sprinkler systems.
8.32.110 Smoke detection systems.
8.32.010 Definitions.
A. Wherever the word "chief of fire prevention" is used in the currently adopted California Building Standards Code as referenced in Section 15.04.010, it shall be held to mean the fire chief.
B. Wherever the term "corporation counsel" is used in the currently adopted California Building Standards Code as referenced in Section 15.04.010, it shall be held to mean the attorney for the city.
C. Wherever the word "jurisdiction" is used in the currently adopted California Building Standards Code as referenced in Section 15.04.010, it shall be held to mean the city fire department.
D. "California Building Standards Code" refers to the currently adopted California Building Standards Code as referenced in Section 15.04.010 adopted by the city.
E. The definitions contained in the currently adopted California Building Standards Code as referenced in Section 15.04.010 shall apply to this section until specifically amended in this section. (Ord. 924 §§3--7, 2020: Ord. 662 §§1, 3, 1986)
8.32.020 Purpose of provisions.
A. The purpose of this chapter is to provide regulations establishing minimum standards for water supply and automatic fire extinguishing systems where such standards are not specifically covered by the currently adopted California Building Standards Code as referenced in Section 15.04.010. Where specific standards are provided by the currently adopted California Building Standards Code as referenced in Section 15.04.010 and provide a greater degree of fire protection than the provisions of this section, those standards shall apply.
B. In those cases where the currently adopted California Building Standards Code as referenced in Section 15.04.010 does not provide specific standards, the terms of this section shall apply.
C. The intent of this section is to apply those fire protection standards which will provide the residents and property owners of the city the greatest degree of fire protection which is reasonable under the circumstances. (Ord. 924 §§8--9, 2020; Ord. 662 §2, 1986)
8.32.030 Occupancy requirements.
Occupancy of any structure regulated by this chapter shall not take place until required fire flows are available at the structure and required sprinklers and alarms are installed and fully operable. (Ord. 662 §12, 1986)
8.32.040 Water supply for new subdivisions.
A. Water supply (fire flows) for R-1 and R-2 zones as defined by Title 17 of this code shall be adequate to provide a minimum of two thousand gallons per minute of free flow from two adjacent hydrants flowing simultaneously with twenty pounds per square inch residual pressure.
B. Water supply for all other zones shall be adequate to provide the required fire flows needed to protect any structures constructed within the zone. Required fire flows shall be determined by I.S.O. publication, "Guide for Determination of Required Fire Flow," December, 1974. See Exhibit A, attached to the ordinance codified in this chapter, on file in the office of the city clerk.
C. Minimum fire flows in any fire zone shall not be less than that flow required for R-1 and R-2 zones.
D. One-site Water Supply. Where adequate fire flows are not available from city water lines, an on-site water supply shall consist of reservoirs, pressure tanks, elevated tanks, or other systems capable of supplying the required fire flow. On-site water supply systems shall be approved by the fire chief prior to issuance of a building permit.
E. Water supply in R-1 and R-2 zones shall be provided at the time of the development of the property. Development shall be at the time of the construction of improvements or the construction of buildings, whichever occurs first. (Ord. 662 §4, 1986)
8.32.050 Water supply and fire flow requirements--Required when.
A. Water supply and fire flow requirements shall be met for all new construction and for all modifications, alterations or reconstruction of multifamily residential and commercial structures which result in an increase of twenty-five percent or more of the floor area or building volume. The percentage increase in the modifications and/or alterations shall be as determined by the building official.
B. Water supply, fire flow and alarm requirements shall be met when the existing occupancy of a building changes from a low or moderate hazard to a severe or high hazard. The determination of the change and degree of hazard of occupancy shall be determined by the fire chief.
C. All persons, businesses, partnerships, corporations, etc., which intend to occupy a structure, wherein the intended occupancy may be considered to be severe or high hazard as defined in the National Fire Protection Handbook, 16th Edition, Section 7, shall notify the fire chief of such intended occupancy.
D. Plans and specifications for required fire protection facilities shall be approved prior to the issuance of a building and/or encroachment permit. (Ord. 662 §5, 1986)
8.32.060 Automatic sprinkler systems and alarms--Requirements.
A. Every new building and every altered commercial building, as defined below, within the city limits that requires a fire flow in excess of eighteen hundred gallons per minute (based on I.S.O. publication, Guide for Determination of Required Fire Flow, December, 1974) shall have an automatic sprinkler and alarm system installed.
B. As specified in the fire codes, all buildings which in the opinion of the fire chief are severe or high-hazard occupancies, shall have an automatic sprinkler system, regardless of size of occupancy. The fire chief shall determine the classification of hazard of contents, as per N.F.P.A. Volume Nine, Section 101.
C. Portions of buildings separated by one or more area separation walls shall be considered as separate buildings for the purpose of determining the automatic sprinkler system and alarm system requirements; provided, that the area separation walls are in compliance with the currently adopted California Building Standards Code as referenced in Section 15.04.010.
D. All commercial structures using open web truss type floor and/or roof joist construction, must provide a minimum two-hour fire protection between partition walls and have sprinkler protection between the roof and ceiling and between floor and the ceiling below.
E. This section shall apply to all new construction and to all commercial modifications, alterations or reconstruction which results in an increase of twenty-five percent or more of the floor area and/or building volume. (Ord. 924 §10, 2020; Ord. 662 §6, 1986)
8.32.070 Automatic sprinkler systems--Right to appeal requirements.
Owners of buildings with a square footage of less than ten thousand square feet shall have the right to appeal to the city council within ten days of the fire chief or building official’s notification to them of automatic sprinkler system requirements, to be relieved from requirement that the proposed building contain an automatic sprinkler system. In determining whether the appellant may be released from the requirement, the city council may consider, among other things, the following:
A. Type of materials used in construction of the building;
B. Location of the building;
C. The proposed use of the building;
D. Number of stories of the building;
E. Design and layout of the building;
F. The proximity of the building to other fire suppression facilities;
G. Building setback from other property;
H. Such other reasons that may be brought to the attention of the city council. (Ord. 662 §11, 1986)
8.32.080 Automatic sprinkler systems--Decision on appeal.
At the conclusion of the appeals hearing, the city council shall prepare findings which indicate the factual basis for its decision based on considerations in Section 8.32.070 of this chapter. (Ord. 662 §8, 1986)
8.32.090 Fire alarm systems--Defined--Required.
A. "Fire alarm system" means all devices, controls and circuits, together with the energy necessary to sound alarms electrically, supervise the system there required, and activate the alarm bells, trouble bells or trouble signals.
B. Every new multifamily complex, apartment house, condominium complex, motel, hotel and other places of lodging shall have installed and approved automatically operated fire alarm systems designed to warn the occupants simultaneously. The fire chief may also require the installation of a manually operated fire alarm system. (Ord. 662 §8, 1986)
8.32.100 Piping for residential sprinkler systems.
A. PVC or CPVC piping (only approved brands as per N.F.P.A. 13) shall be used for residential sprinkler systems.
B. Every new residential one-family and two-family dwellings and mobilehomes less than two or more floors or less than thirty-six feet in height and/or not more than five thousand square feet on any single-story floor area may install an engineered automatic fire sprinkler system using PVC or CPVC piping as specified in N.F.P.A. 13D and California State Fire Marshal-suggested standards for the design, installation and maintenance of automatic fire sprinkler systems for one-family and two-family dwellings.
C. Use of PVC or CPVC piping for a multiresidential automatic sprinkler systems shall include in the design of this system automatic sprinklers within all attic areas if any portion of the attic measures more than twenty-four inches from ceiling to roof sheathing.
D. Use of PVC or CPVC piping for multiresidential automatic sprinkler systems shall include UL-approved rapid or quick acting sprinklers. (Ord. 662 §7, 1986)
8.32.110 Smoke detection systems.
All new multifamily complexes and single-family dwellings shall be provided with an automatic smoke detection system. (Ord. 662 §9, 1986)
8.32.120 Fire hydrants.
A. The maximum distance between fire hydrants shall be five hundred feet in R-1 and R-2 zones. In all other zones, the maximum spacing shall be three hundred feet.
B. Fire hydrants in all zones shall be spaced so that primary property improvements can be reached with a two hundred fifty feet maximum hose lay.
C. Fire hydrants shall be located at the edge of public rights-of-way at a location approved by the city engineer, the fire chief, and/or the director of public works.
D. Type of Fire Hydrants. The size and type of fire hydrants shall be as recommended by the fire chief and/or the director of public works. (Ord. 662 §10, 1986)