Agenda

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SD. 3

To:	Contra Costa County Fire Protection District Board of Directors
From:	Daryl L. Louder, Contra Costa Fire Protection Dist.
Date:	February 12, 2013

Contra

Costa

County

Subject:

Self-Inspection Program

APPROVE	OTHER
RECOMMENDATION OF CNTY ADMINISTRATOR	RECOMMENDATION OF BOARD COMMITTEE

Action of Board On: 02/12/2013

APPROVED AS RECOMMENDED

OTHER

Clerks Notes:

VOTE OF SUPERVISORS

AYE:

John Gioia, Director
Candace Andersen, Director
Mary N. Piepho, Director
Karen Mitchoff, Director
Federal D. Glover, Director

Contact:

Lewis Broschard, Fire Marshal, 925-941-3520

I hereby certify that this is a true and correct copy of an action taken and entered on the minutes of the Board of Supervisors on the date shown.
ATTESTED: February 12, 2013
David Twa,

BY:	, Deputy

RECOMMENDATION(S):

AUTHORIZE the Fire Chief, or designee, to pursue implementation of a self-inspection program for lower-hazard commercial occupancies to increase awareness of fire safety and increase compliance with state laws, regulations, and local ordinances related to fire and life safety.

FISCAL IMPACT:

Fees collected as part of this code enforcement program will be used to fully offset the costs of program administration and implementation.

BACKGROUND:

The Fire District is responsible for enforcement of Title 24 of the California Code of Regulations, which includes the California Fire Code. In addition, we are responsible for enforcement of Title 19 of the California Code of Regulations, Public Safety Regulations, at the local level. There are approximately 20,000 commercial occupancies within the Fire District ranging from low-hazard occupancies such as business offices and small retail shops to high-hazard facilities such as industrial manufacturing and petroleum refining.

BACKGROUND: (CONT'D)

Included in both of these regulations is the enforcement of laws, regulations, and local ordinances for protection of life and property from the perils of fire. These laws and regulations are applicable to all commercial facilities and occupancies, including multi-family residential occupancies. In the past, approximately 9,000 low-hazard occupancies received fire inspections conducted annually by our fire suppression crews in their local areas. Occupancies with higher levels of hazard and risk or where operational permits are required (e.g. flammable liquid dispensing or storage, places of assembly, etc.) are inspected by members of the Fire Prevention Bureau due to their complexity or the technical knowledge needed to properly conduct code enforcement inspections in those occupancies.

The practice of using our engine companies to conduct low-hazard occupancy inspections was suspended in 2010 due to increased demands on our fire crews for emergency response, training commitments, and other factors that reduced their availability to perform these inspections on a consistent basis. The closure of fire stations further reduces the capacity of our engine companies to conduct these inspections. The number of existing occupancies requiring annual inspections by Fire Prevention Bureau staff does not allow time or resources, given current staffing, to conduct inspections of low-hazard occupancies on a regular or scheduled basis. However, these inspections are essential to ensuring a safe environment for the occupants and the public.

Many fire departments throughout the state are facing the same dilemma. One option that has gained traction is a self-inspection program. The self-inspection program would allow low-hazard businesses and occupancies to perform an assessment of their facility’s compliance with laws, regulations, and local requirements by completing an evaluation and checklist and returning the information to the Fire District for review and retention. The business could opt out of the self-inspection and request a formal inspection through the Fire Prevention Bureau, if preferred. A nominal fee for the inspection program would enable the Fire District to provide resources to perform periodic quality assurance audits of the occupancies where self-inspections were completed, provide compliance checks of completed self-inspections, and to conduct scheduled in-person inspections on a three year rotation. These inspections will help to ensure the accuracy of the information provided through the self-inspection process. If a business chooses, they could opt-out of the self-inspection program in favor of a scheduled in-person inspection.

Together, fire suppression and fire prevention provide a balanced approach to reducing property loss, injury, and death as a result of fires. These efforts also help to maintain the economic vitality, stability, and growth in the communities served by the Fire District. The 20% reduction in functional units (fire crews) in the Fire District has tipped the balance in our service equation to necessitate an increase in prevention efforts and preparedness at the individual level.

The self-inspection program will be modeled on existing delivery systems in use by similar jurisdictions. The program will enhance our ability to provide a high level of compliance with state laws, regulations, and local ordinances throughout the Fire District by providing an effective awareness and enforcement program for low-hazard occupancies. Increased compliance with fire safety standards and regulations will equate to reduced service demands on an already taxed emergency response network in the long term. Costs for program administration and resources will be recovered for each inspection and provide long-term sustainability for this fire prevention program.