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Home My WebLink AboutNB 4 AUTO FIRE SPRINK 06-18-90MIR AGIENDA DATE: TO: FROM: SUBJECT: JUNE 181 1990 WILLIAM HUSTON, CITY MANAGER JEW BUSINESS N0. 4 ,. 6/18/9Q' Inter - Com CHRISTINE SHINGLETON, DIRECTOR COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT AUTOMATIC FIRE SPRINKLER - RESIDENTIAL RETROFIT RECOMMENDATION Pleasure of the Council. BACKGROUND At the City Council meeting on May 21, 1990 Mr. Frank Kazerski and Joseph De La Riva requested that the Council consider an ordinance to mandate retroactive installation of automatic fire sprinklers in apartments within the City. The Council requested that the matter be agendized for June 18th and that staff and the Fire Department report back on current fire safety provisions and how other cities are handling retrofit requirements for fire sprinkler systems. Current Code Provisions As the Council is aware, the City adopted the 1988 Uniform Fire and Uniform Building Codes with local amendments on February 51 1990. Major modifications and provisions adopted affecting residential fire safety can be summarized as follows: 1. New Building - Automatic Sprinkler Systems Reguired • All buildings over 2 stories or greater than 6,000 sq. ft. • All Group R occupancies containing 3 dwelling units or guest rooms (modified system acceptable) • One and two family dwellings 31600 sq. ft. or larger to be reviewed by the Fire Chief for fire flow or fire protection appliances. 2. Spark Arrestors All new fireplace, stove, stovepipe installations. 3. Smoke Detectors • Hard wired detectors in each building and hallway adjacent to a bedroom in new construction. City Council Report Automatic Fire Sprinkler - Residential Retrofit June 18, 1990 Page 2 • Battery operated detectors in existing buildings when a room addition is over $1,000 where a building permit is required. 4. Roof Coverings • Class "C" or better, Class "A" roofs in hillside areas. In discussing the above adopted amendments, the City Council reviewed but did not approve a Fire Department requested amendment which would have also required a modified automatic sprinkler system in all new one and two family dwelling. In conjunction with the City's review of the Uniform Fire Code, the Fire Department did not recommend provisions for retrofitting of existing dwellings with automatic sprinkler systems. Amendments to Uniform Codes as they affect residential development are authorized by Section 17958 of the California Health and Safety Code provided that the City makes certain findings that code modifications or changes are reasonably necessary because of local climatic, geological or topographical conditions. Cities have 180 days after publication of the State Building Standards Code by the State Building Standards Commission to make such amendments and file said findings. Based on staff conversations with the state as late as June 12th it is the opinion of a representative from the State Department of Housing and Community, Division of Codes and Standards that the City would not be able to amend its' local building or fire code at this time to require retrofit or additional fire safety provisions beyond those already adopted by the City or State Fire Marshall. The state in reviewing local code amendments is also sending out correspondence with this information. In addition, the Council should be aware that a recent opinion issued by the State Attorney General also concluded that local agencies are precluded from adopting building standards which are more stringent than those adopted by the State Fire Marshall. In reviewing local fire and building code amendments, the State is of the opinion that local jurisdictions would not have authority to require installation of fire sprinkler system on single family or two family residences or to mandate retrofit installation of such systems. While the County Counsel does not agree with the State Attorney General's opinion, a number of Bills have been introduced in the State Legislature and withdrawn over the last several months to modify the California Health and Safety code to allow more stringent amendments than those standards adopted by the State Fire Marshall. The major reasons that each of these Bills have been withdrawn is the opposition from fire safety interests to Community Development Department City Council Report Automatic Fire Sprinkler - Residential Retrofit June 18, 1990 Page 3 stipulations added to the Bills in committee discussions that would have precluded local amendments requiring sprinkler installations in single or two family dwellings. Fire sprinkler systems Attached for the Council's information are two comprehensive informational documents prepared by the Orange County Fire Department. 1. An overview of residential sprinklers and the Tustin Fire Experience. 2. A report on fire sprinklers The reports identify the life and property loss issues associated with fires; what other cities in the county and elsewhere are doing; the costs, impacts and benefits of sprinkler systems and available alternatives. In response to the Council's request to identify what other cities are doing in retrofit, the Fire Department learned that there are no known jurisdictions in the State of California that have a true and complete retroactive sprinkler equipment for all multiple family buildings. Some jurisdictions, however have adopted amendments to their building and fire codes which require fire sprinkler installations when an addition to a building causes the total area to exceed a certain square footage or total value of improvements. Orange County cities that have such an ordinance include Garden Grove, Anaheim, Costa Mesa and San Clemente. Although staff do not believe at this time that the City would have the legal authority to adopt amendments to the Uniform Fire and Building Codes, the Fire Department has recommended a number of alternatives for improving residential fire protection as follows: 1. Require all multiple family dwellings to be equipped with an automatic fire sprinkler system within a specified phased time frame. 2. Only require multiple family dwellings to be equipped with an automatic sprinkler system when additions exceed a specified square footage or value. 3. Require all conversions from apartments to condominiums to be equipped with a fire sprinkler system at time of revision. Community Development Department City Council Report Automatic Fire Sprinkler - Residential Retrofit June 18, 1990 Page 4 4. Require all new single family and duplex dwellings to be equipped with a fire sprinkler system. 5. Require all existing multiple family dwellings to install retroactively hard wired smoke detectors. 6. Develop a Fire Prevention Program to be offered to apartment and condominium groups in conjunction with crime prevention programs recommending voluntary installation of sprinkler systems. The City could also delay any action in adopting code amendments for retrofit sprinkler systems at this time but direct staff to support modifications to state law which would permit the City to adopt more stringent standards than the State Fire Marshall and to adopt a policy resolution instructing staff to bring back a specific alternative for sprinklers or expanded fire safety mechanisms in the event that the state modifies their position. While the costs of fire sprinkler installation can vary significantly as identified in the attached Fire Department Reports, there are a number of installation issues that would be significant in Tustin given the average age of the majority of the City's multiple family units (20 years+). These possible installation issues include the following: • Asbestos removal problems and costs and health risks associated • Many of the older apartments are plumbed with galvanized pipe and would require large meters to handle the flow demand for the system. • Multiple family dwellings include condominium ownership patters; mandating retrofitting in these conditions would be more complex and require considerable coordination and agreement by multiple owners in a building • The Fire Department in the past has also not supported mandatory retrofit of all multiple family dwellings due to its potential to overload the fire flow system. The Fire Department will be available to answer any specific questions by the Council. Christine ShIngletoiV Director of Community Development CAS:mas , Attachment Community Development Department