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ADOPT A RESOLUTION ACKNOWLEDGING THE FIRE DEPARTMENT’S 2019 ANNUAL INSPECTION STATISTICS FROM EDUCATIONAL GROUP E AND RESIDENTIAL GROUP R OCCUPANCIES
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RECOMMENDATION
It is recommended that the City Council adopt a resolution to acknowledge the Fire Department’s 2019 annual inspection statistics from Educational Group E and Residential Group R Occupancies in accordance with Senate Bill 1205.
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Summary
California Health & Safety Code section 13146.4 requires all fire departments that provide fire protection services to report annually to its administering authority on its compliance with sections 13146.2 and 13146.3.
If approved by Council, this resolution will acknowledge the Stockton Fire Department’s 2019 annual inspection statistics from Educational Group E and Residential Group R Occupancies in accordance with Senate Bill 1205 (Attachment A), codified as Health and Safety Code section 13146.4.
DISCUSSION
Background
The Stockton Fire Department (SFD) is required to inspect specific occupancy types every year in accordance with the California Health and Safety Code Sections 13146.2 and 13146.3 (Attachment B). Existing law requires the chief of any city or county fire department or district providing fire protection services and his or her authorized representatives to inspect every building used as a public or private school within his or her jurisdiction (“Educational Group E Occupancies”) for the purpose of enforcing specified building standards, not less than once each year. Existing law also requires every city or county fire department or district providing fire protection services that are required to enforce specified building standards to annually inspect certain residential structures, including hotels, motels, lodging houses, and apartment houses (“Residential Group R Occupancies”), for compliance with building standards.
On the heels of the “Ghost Ship” warehouse fire in Oakland, California, the California Legislature adopted Senate Bill 1205, effective January 1, 2019. Senate Bill 1205 requires that every city or county fire department required to complete Educational E and Residential R Occupancy inspections to report annually to its administering authority on the department’s or district’s compliance with the above-described inspection requirements. The bill requires the administering authority to acknowledge formal receipt of the report in a resolution or a similar formal document.
Present Situation
Educational Group E and Residential Group R Occupancy inspections are primarily completed by fire department personnel assigned to suppression companies, with follow-up and non-compliant inspections completed by Fire Inspectors assigned to the Fire Prevention Bureau.
In 2018, the fire department began tracking the completion of annual inspections assigned to suppression companies. These inspections include both the Educational Group E and Residential Group R Occupancies. SFD identified 121 Educational Group E and 2,062 Residential Group R Occupancies that required annual fire inspections. In 2019, 119 or 98% of the identified Educational Group E Occupancy inspections were completed, and 1,633 or 80% of the Residential Group R Occupancy inspections were completed.
The Fire Prevention Bureau is in the process of implementing new software technologies to provide real-time updates to the completion status of occupancies requiring annual inspections. This software will help to further drive compliance and our 2020 goal of 100% compliance with annual inspections in Educational Group E and Residential Group R Occupancies.
FINANCIAL SUMMARY
Adopting the proposed resolution certifying the Fire Department’s 2019 annual inspection statistics will have no financial impact on the City.
Attachment A - Senate Bill 1205
Attachment B - Cal. Health and Safety Codes Sections 13146.2, 13146.3, & 13146.4