SR 08-23-2022 5K
City Council
Report
City Council Meeting: August 23, 2022
Agenda Item: 5.K
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To: Mayor and City Council
From: Danny Alvarez, Fire Chief, Fire Department
Subject: Adoption of a Resolution accepting a report on the status of all state-
mandated annual fire inspections in the City of Santa Monica in conjunction
with SB1205 and California Health and Safety Code Section 13146.4.
Recommended Action
Adopt a Resolution acknowledging receipt of a report on the status of state mandated
annual fire inspections in the City of Santa Monica pursuant to California Health and
Safety Code Section 13146.4
Summary
With the signing of SB 1205 (Hill) on September 27, 2018 by the Governor, the
California Health and Safety Code was amended by adding Section 13146.4, which
requires that all fire departments perform annual inspections pursuant to Sections
13146.2 and 13146.3 and report annually to its administrating authority on its
compliance. These sections mandate that annual inspections of all public and private
schools, hotels, motels, lodging houses, and all apartment and condominium buildings
be performed by the fire department. The purpose of annual fire inspections is to
mitigate known hazards, reduce risk to the community and ensure reasonable
compliance with the California Fire Code. The Fire Department completed annual fire
inspections of these facilities for Fiscal Year 2021-2022. A resolution to accept the
City’s FY 2021-22 annual fire inspections report is included as Attachment A.
Discussion
SB 1205 requires that every city or county fire department or district to perform the
above- described inspections and to report annually to its administering authority on
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the department or district’s compliance with the above-described inspection
requirements. The bill also requires the administering authority to acknowledge receipt
of the report in a resolution or a similar formal document. Further, the acceptance of
this compliance report and the recommended Resolution fulfills the statutory
requirements contained in California Health and Safety Code Sections 13146.2,
13146.3 and 13146.4, as amended by SB 1205.
The California Building Code also specifies that condominiums should be considered
apartments for building code application. An apartment shall consist of three or more
attached units and excludes all duplex style buildings. Last fiscal year, the Fire
Department inspected 3,861 apartment/condominium buildings with three or more
units.
The following is the mandated reporting of the inspections from the Santa Monica Fire
Department for the Fiscal Year 2021-2022.
Occupancy
Type
Inspections
Completed Total Number
Percentage
Completed
Schools Public 18 18 100%
Schools Private 40 40 100%
Jails SMPD PSF 1 1 100%
Multi-Family
Residential
Three Units + 3,548 3,861 92%
Total Inspections Completed
*Only 92% of Multi-Family Residential were
completed due to staffing shortage.
3,607
During Fiscal Year 2021-2022 the Fire Department conducted 3,607 state-mandated
annual inspections under California Health and Safety Code Sections 13146.2,
13146.3 and 13146.4 and 1,875 other types of annual inspections shown in the table
below.
In addition to the mandated reporting of the specific occupancies above, the following
are the remaining inspections conducted by the Santa Monica Fire Department on an
annual basis, reported for Fiscal Year 2021-2022.
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Occupancy Type
Inspections
Completed
Total
Number
Percentage
Completed
Assemblies, Institutions,
Hospitals
212 328 64%
Highrise 80 80 100%
Underground Storage Tanks 39 39 100%
New Construction Plan Review
and Inspections
1,544 1,544 100%
Business and Mercantile** 0 4,139 0%
*Assemblies, Institutions, Hospitals were not all completed due to staffing shortages and shifting
of duties to ensure state mandated inspections were completed. In FY2022-23, inspections for
Assemblies, Institutions, Hospitals will be on track targeting a 100% completion rate.
**Business and Mercantile inspections are not state mandated inspections and due to staffing
shortages were not completed to ensure state mandated inspections were completed. Business
and Mercantile inspections will commence again in FY2022-23.
Financial Impacts and Budget Actions
There is no immediate financial impact or budget action necessary as a result of the
recommended action.
Prepared By: Terese Toomey, Principal Administrative Analyst
Approved
Forwarded to Council
Attachments:
A. SB 1205 21-22 Reso
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Attachment A
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RESOLUTION NO.____________
A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SANTA MONICA,
CALIFORNIA, ACKNOWLEDGING RECEIPT OF A REPORT ON THE STATUS OF
STATE MANDATED ANNUAL FIRE INSPECTIONS IN THE CITY OF SANTA MONICA
PURSUANT TO CALIFORNIA HEALTH AND SAFETY CODE SECTION 13146.4
WHEREAS, California Health & Safety Code Section 13146.4 was added in 2018,
and became effective on September 27, 2018; and,
WHEREAS, California Health & Safety Code Sections 13146.2 and 13146.3
requires all fire departments, including the Santa Monica Fire Department, that provide
fire protection services to perform annual inspections in every building used as a public
or private school, hotel, motel, lodging house, apartment house, and certain residential
care facilities for compliance with building standards, as provided and,
WHEREAS, California Health & Safety Code Section 13146.2 requires all fire
departments, including the Santa Monica Fire Department, that provide fire protection
services to report annually to its administering authority on its compliance with Sections
13146.2 and 13146.3 and,
WHEREAS, the City Council of the City of Santa Monica intends this Resolution to
fulfill the requirements of the California Health & Safety Code regarding acknowledgment
of the Santa Monica Fire Department’s compliance with California Health and Sections
13146.2 and 13146.3.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the City Council of the City of Santa
Monica that said Council expressly acknowledges the measure of compliance of the
5.K.a
Packet Pg. 113 Attachment: SB 1205 21-22 Reso [Revision 1] (5283 : Accept Report on Annual Fire Inspections Per SB1205)
Attachment A
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Santa Monica Fire Department with California Health and Safety Code Sections 13146.2
and 13146.3 in the area encompassed by the City of Santa Monica as follows:
A. EDUCATIONAL GROUP E OCCUPANCIES:
Educational Group E occupancies are generally those public and private schools,
used by more than six persons at any one time for educational purposes through the 12th
grade. Within the City of Santa Monica, there are 58 Group E occupancies, buildings,
structures and/or facilities.
During the fiscal year 2021-2022, the Santa Monica Fire Department completed
the annual inspection of 58 Group E occupancies, buildings, structures and/or facilities.
This is a compliance rate of 100% for this reporting period.
B. RESIDENTIAL GROUP R OCCUPANCIES:
Residential Group R occupancies, for the purposes of this resolution, are generally
those occupancies containing sleeping units, and include hotels, motels, apartments
(three units or more), etc. as well as other residential occupancies (including a number of
residential care facilities). These residential care facilities have a number of different sub-
classifications, and they may contain residents or clients that have a range of needs,
including those related to custodial care, mobility impairments, cognitive disabilities, etc.
The residents may also be non-ambulatory or bedridden. Within the City of Santa Monica,
there lie 3,861 Group R (and their associated sub-categories) occupancies of this nature.
5.K.a
Packet Pg. 114 Attachment: SB 1205 21-22 Reso [Revision 1] (5283 : Accept Report on Annual Fire Inspections Per SB1205)
Attachment A
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During the fiscal year 2021-2022, the Santa Monica Fire Department completed the
annual inspection of 3,548 Group R occupancies, buildings, structures and/or facilities.
This is a compliance rate of 92% for this reporting period.
APPROVED AS TO FORM:
BY:
DOUGLAS SLOAN, City Attorney
5.K.a
Packet Pg. 115 Attachment: SB 1205 21-22 Reso [Revision 1] (5283 : Accept Report on Annual Fire Inspections Per SB1205)