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We recently had an
inspection by the engine company. They told us we could not have
key-locking deadbolts in our school. Why not?
A school, day-care, hospital or
multi-unit residential building or residential care facility is not
allowed to have key-locking hardware to exit from the exit doors.
Key-locking hardware may be used on the main exit of a public assembly (a
building where as many as 50 people or more gather to dine, dance, listen
to a lecture, etc.) or the main exit of any church as long as a sign is
placed on or adjacent to the door which states: THIS DOOR MUST REMAIN
UNLOCKED WHILE OCCUPIED.
Where “panic hardware” is not required,
a deadbolt may be used when it is INTERLOCKED to the door handle so that
it retracts at the same time the door handle is operated to open the door.
Only one turn of the door handle must open the door.
My building does
not have an emergency plan. Should it?
An Emergency Plan and Information
Policy explains the
requirements found in Title 19 for emergency planning. Please see the
policy for the specific requirements based on the type of occupancy.
In addition to the Title 19
requirements, the California Fire Code has requirements for multiple-unit
residential buildings. Apartments, which have on-site management, must
have an emergency plan, staff training and fire drills for staff only on a
quarterly basis.
Emergency plans shall include:
- The procedure for reporting emergencies and notifying, relocating
and evacuating occupants;
- Staff member duties during emergencies;
- Floor plans identifying the locations of portable fire
extinguishers, other manual fire-extinguishing equipment, manual fire
alarm pull stations and fire alarm control panels;
- Floor plans identifying the primary and secondary routes of
evacuation for each room or portion of the occupancy;
- Floor plans indicting the locations of interior areas of refuge; and
- Site maps identifying the designated exterior assembly area for each
evacuation route.
Apartment buildings, with or without
onsite management, must provide an emergency guide to tenants. The guide
must describe the location, function and use of all fire protection
equipment and appliances accessible to tenants, including fire alarm
systems, single-station smoke detectors and portable fire extinguishers.
The guide shall also include an evacuation plan for each dwelling unit.
I am going to open
up a day-care. Will the fire department come out and do my fire
inspection?
If you are going to open up a day-care
in your home, first contact Community Care Licensing, Department of Social
Services at (916) 263-4700 and obtain a list of the requirements from
their office. Licensing will send a "Fire Safety Inspection Request Form”
to the appropriate inspecting agency who will then contact you.
Who is responsible
for the installation of the smoke detector in my home?
You are responsible if you own your own
home. Otherwise, the landlord is responsible for the purchase and
installation.
When can you
service my extinguishers?
The department does not service fire
extinguishers. You will need to consult the Yellow Pages to find a company
that services fire extinguishers.
Any company that provides this service
must have a license from the State Fire Marshal to perform this type of
work.
Can I use my
barbecue on my balcony?
Yes, but be sure the smoke and flames
are not a hazard to anything in the immediate area. If you do not keep the
smoke and flames low, you may have a visit from the nearest fire engine
responding on an emergency call. If your use of your barbecue is
perceived to be a fire hazard, the fire department has the authority to
require that you stop the use of it.
I don't know if my
gas-heating appliance is working properly. Will you check it for me?
No, you will need to call your gas
service provider at the number located on your bill.
I want to know the
occupant load of my business.
If you call us for an occupant load,
and we do not have a record of it, you will need to contact the fire
inspector for the area in which your business is located. You will need to
consult with the inspector to see what they will require in order to do an
occupancy load analysis, (916) 942-3300.
I want to open a
new business. What fire department requirements do we need to meet?
It will depend on the type of business.
The fire code is a "maintenance" code for the building code. What this
means to you is that your building must meet building code requirements
for the kind of use or occupancy which you will have. For instance, if you
want to locate a day-care in a retail shopping complex, you will need to
make sure that the business meets day-care requirements. These
requirements will be different from those for a store.
When the use or occupancy of the
building changes, you will need to get a Use Permit from building
department. Following your use approval, plans will need to be submitted
to the building department and at least two (2) separate sets to the
Sacramento Metro Fire Prevention Bureau for a review that will include
specific fire department requirements.
We had a fire in
our home yesterday. Our insurance company needs an incident report and a
report about the fire investigation. How can I get it?
This information is free to the
homeowner having the incident. It is available for a fee of $5.00 to an
insurance agent or other party. A request can be made at the Fire
Prevention Bureau, 3012 Gold Canal Drive, Rancho Cordova, 95670. You may
call (916) 942-3300 if you have questions. You will need the address of
the incident and the day and year of the occurrence.
We are buying a
commercial building and want to know if there are any outstanding
violations on the property.
We can tell you if there are any
outstanding (unresolved) violations, but not what they are.
A building's history becomes a matter
of public record only when the violations are signed off.
To do a records search, An
Application must be filled out and presented at the Fire Prevention
Office. There is a processing fee of $35.89. To copy records there is an
additional copy fee of $ 5.00 for the first page and $.50 for each
additional page.
The Water Company
is tearing up the street to replace the water mains. Although we have
water for drinking and bathing, we have no water for our building's
automatic sprinkler system. What do we do?
Under these circumstances, you need to
do two things. First, the Fire Communications Center should be notified at
(916) 228-3035. Also, notify the Fire Prevention Bureau at (916)
942-3300.
Second, institute a “Fire Watch”. A
Fire Watch is a 24-hour watch performed by personnel whose sole duty is to
patrol the building. Our policy on Providing a Fire Watch explains
the requirements in detail.
What are the California Fire and Building Codes and
where can they be purchased?
The California Fire Code and California
Building Code are model codes that are adopted as amended by the state of
California. These codes govern schools, public assemblies, multiple unit
residential buildings, hospitals, nursing homes and any state-licensed or
state-owned facility.
The California codes are available
through the International Conference of Building Officials at (800)
284-4406.
Are there any local amendments to the Uniform Fire
Code?
Yes. The Sacramento County amendments
to the Uniform Fire Code are available at the Sacramento County Board of
Supervisors Office,
County Administration
Center
700 H Street, Room 1450
Sacramento, CA 95814…
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