Section 1.1 — California Fire Code (Title 24, Part 9)

GENERAL

1.1.1 Title. These regulations shall be known as the Califor- nia Fire Code, may be cited as such and will be referred to herein as “this code.” The California Fire Code is Part 9 of thirteen parts of the official compilation and publication of the adoptions, amendment, and repeal of building regulations to the California Code of Regulations, Title 24, also referred to as the California Building Standards Code. This part incorporates by adoption the 2018 California Fire Code of the International Code Council with necessary California amendments.

1.1.2 Purpose. The purpose of this code is to establish the minimum requirements consistent with nationally recognized good practices to safeguard the public health, safety and gen- eral welfare from the hazards of fire, explosion or dangerous conditions in new and existing buildings, structures and premises, and to provide safety and assistance to fire fighters and emergency responders during emergency operations.

1.1.3 Scope. The provisions of this code shall apply to the construction, alteration, movement, enlargement, replace- ment, repair, equipment, use and occupancy, location, main- tenance, removal and demolition of every building or structure or any appurtenances connected or attached to such building structures throughout the State of California.

This code establishes regulations affecting or relating to buildings, structures, processes, premises and a reasonable degree of life and property safeguards regarding:

1. The hazard of fire and explosion arising from the stor- age, handling or use of structures, materials or devices.

2. Conditions hazardous to life, property or public wel- fare in the use or occupancy of buildings, structures or premises.

3. Fire hazards in the buildings, structures or on premises from use of, occupancy of, or operation.

4. Matters related to the construction, extension, repair, alteration or removal of fire suppression or alarm sys- tems.

5. Conditions affecting the safety of fire fighters and emergency responders during emergency operations.

1.1.3.1 Nonstate-regulated buildings, structures and applications. Except as modified by local ordinance pur- suant to Section 1.1.8, the following standards in the Cali- fornia Code of Regulations, Title 24, Parts 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 9, 10 and 11 shall apply to all occupancies and applications not regulated by a state agency.

1.1.3.2 State-regulated buildings, structures and applica- tions. The model code, state amendments to the model code, and/or state amendments where there are no rele- vant model code provisions, shall apply to the following buildings, structures and applications regulated by state agencies as specified in Sections 1.2 through 1.14, except where modified by local ordinance pursuant to Section 1.1.8. When adopted by a state agency, the provisions of this code shall be enforced by the appropriate enforcing agency, but only to the extent of authority granted to such agency by the state legislature.

Note: See the Preface to distinguish the model code provi- sions from the California provisions.

1. State-owned buildings, including buildings con- structed by the Trustees of the California State University, and to the extent permitted by Califor- nia laws, buildings designed and constructed by the Regents of the University of California, and regulated by the Building Standards Commission. See Section 1.2 for additional scope provisions.

2. Local detention facilities regulated by the Board of State and Community Corrections. See Section 1.3 for additional scope provisions.

3. Barbering, cosmetology or electrolysis establish- ments, acupuncture offices, pharmacies, veteri- nary facilities and structural pest control locations regulated by the Department of Consumer Affairs. See Section 1.4 for additional scope provisions.

4. Section 1.5 reserved for the California Energy Commission.

5. Dairies and places of meat inspection regulated by the Department of Food and Agriculture. See Sec- tion 1.6 for additional scope provisions.

6. Organized camps, laboratory animal quarters, public swimming pools, radiation protection, com- missaries serving mobile food preparation vehi- cles and wild animal quarantine facilities regulated by the Department of Public Health. See Section 1.7 for additional scope provisions.

7. Hotels, motels, lodging houses, apartments, dwell- ings, dormitories, condominiums, shelters for homeless persons, congregate residences, employee housing, factory-built housing and other types of dwellings containing sleeping accommo- dations with or without common toilets or cooking facilities. See Section 1.8.2.1.1 for additional scope provisions.

Copyright © 2019 ICC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Accessed by Kevin Day (kevin.day@dgs.ca.gov), (California Building Standards Commission) Order Number #100735044 on Jul 24, 2019 03:54 PM (PDT) pursuant to License Agreement with ICC. No further reproduction or distribution authorized. Single user only, copying and networking prohibited. ANY UNAUTHORIZED REPRODUCTION OR DISTRIBUTION IS A VIOLATION OF THE FEDERAL COPYRIGHT ACT AND THE LICENSE AGREEMENT, AND SUBJECT TO CIVIL AND CRIMINAL PENALTIES THEREUNDER.

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8. Accommodations for persons with disabilities in buildings containing newly constructed covered multifamily dwellings, new common use spaces serving existing covered multifamily dwellings, additions to existing buildings where the addition alone meets the definition of a “COVERED MUL- TIFAMILY DWELLING,” and new common-use areas serving new covered multifamily dwellings which are regulated by the Department of Housing and Community Development. See Section 1.8.2.1.2 for additional scope provisions.

9. Permanent buildings and permanent accessory buildings or structures constructed within mobile home parks and special occupancy parks regu- lated by the Department of Housing and Commu- nity Development. See Section 1.8.2.1.3 for additional scope provisions.

10. Accommodations for persons with disabilities reg- ulated by the Division of the State Architect. See Section 1.9.1 for additional scope provisions.

11. Public elementary and secondary schools, commu- nity college buildings and state-owned or state- leased essential service buildings regulated by the Division of the State Architect. See Section 1.9.2 for additional scope provisions.

12. Qualified historical buildings and structures and their associated sites regulated by the State His- torical Building Safety Board with the Division of the State Architect. See Section 1.9.3 for addi- tional scope provisions.

13. General acute care hospitals, acute psychiatric hospitals, skilled nursing and/or intermediate care facilities, clinics licensed by the Department of Public Health and correctional treatment centers regulated by the Office of Statewide Health Plan- ning and Development. See Section 1.10 for addi- tional scope provisions.

14. Applications regulated by the Office of the State Fire Marshal include, but are not limited to, the following in accordance with Section 1.11:

14.1. Buildings or structures used or intended for use as an:

1. Asylum, jail, prison.

2. Mental hospital, hospital, home for the elderly, children’s nursery, children’s home or institution, school or any similar occupancy of any capacity.

3. Theater, dancehall, skating rink, auditorium, assembly hall, meeting hall, nightclub, fair building or similar place of assemblage where 50 or more persons may gather together in a building, room or structure for the purpose of amuse- ment, entertainment, instruction, deliberation, worship, drinking or

dining, awaiting transportation, or education

4. Small family daycare homes, large family daycare homes, residential facilities and residential facilities for the elderly, residential care facilities.

5. State institutions or other state- owned or state-occupied buildings.

6. High-rise structures.

7. Motion picture production studios.

8. Organized camps.

9. Residential structures.

14.2. Tents, awnings or other fabric enclo- sures used in connection with any occu- pancy.

14.3. Fire alarm devices, equipment and sys- tems in connection with any occupancy.

14.4. Hazardous materials, flammable and combustible liquids.

14.5. Public school automatic fire detection, alarm and sprinkler systems.

14.6. Wildland-urban interface fire areas.

15. Public libraries constructed and renovated using funds from the California Library Construction and Renovation Bond Act of 1988 and regulated by the State Librarian. See Section 1.12 of the Cal- ifornia Building Code for additional scope provi- sions.

16. Section 1.13 reserved for the Department of Water Resources.

17. For applications listed in Section 1.9.1 regulated by the Division of the State Architect—Access Compliance, outdoor environments and uses shall be classified according to accessibility uses described in Chapters 11A, 11B and 11C.

18. Marine Oil Terminals regulated by the California State Lands Commission. See Section 1.14 of the California Building Code for additional scope provisions.

1.1.4 Appendices. Provisions contained in the appendices of this code shall not apply unless specifically adopted by a state agency or adopted by a local enforcing agency in com- pliance with Health and Safety Code, Section 18901 et. seq. for Building Standards Law, Health and Safety Code, Section 17950 for State Housing Law and Health and Safety Code, Section 13869.7 for Fire Protection Districts. See Section 1.1.8 of this code.

1.1.5 Referenced codes. The codes, standards and publica- tions adopted and set forth in this code, including other codes, standards and publications referred to therein are, by title and date of publication, hereby adopted as standard ref- erence documents of this code. When this code does not spe- cifically cover any subject related to building design and

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construction, recognized architectural or engineering prac- tices shall be employed. The National Fire Codes, standards and the Fire Protection Handbook of the National Fire Pro- tection Association are permitted to be used as authoritative guides in determining recognized fire prevention engineering practices.

1.1.6 Nonbuilding standards, orders and regulations. Requirements contained in the California Fire Code, or in any other referenced standard, code or document, which are not building standards as defined in Health and Safety Code, Section 18909 shall not be construed as part of the provisions of this code. For nonbuilding standards, orders and regula- tions, see other titles of the California Code of Regulations.

1.1.7 Order of precedence and use.

1.1.7.1 Differences. In the event of any differences between these building standards and the standard refer- ence documents, the text of these building standards shall govern.

1.1.7.2 Specific provisions. Where a specific provision varies from a general provision, the specific provision shall apply.

1.1.7.3 Conflicts. When the requirements of this code con- flict with the requirements of any other part of the Califor- nia Building Standards Code, Title 24, the most restrictive requirements shall prevail.

1.1.7.3.1. Detached one- and two-family dwellings, effi- ciency dwelling units, lodging houses, live/work units, townhouses not more than three stories above grade plane with a separate means of egress, and their acces- sory structures, may be designed and constructed in accordance with the California Building Code or the California Residential Code, but not both, unless the proposed structure(s) or element(s) exceed the design limitations established in the California Residential Code, and the code user is specially directed by the California Residential Code to use the California Building Code.

1.1.8 City, county, or city and county amendments, addi- tions or deletions. The provisions of this code do not limit the authority of city, county, or city and county governments to establish more restrictive and reasonably necessary differ- ences to the provisions contained in this code pursuant to complying with Section 1.1.8.1. The effective date of amend- ments, additions or deletions to this code of a city, county, or a city and county filed pursuant to Section 1.1.8.1 shall be the date filed. However, in no case shall the amendments, addi- tions or deletions to this code be effective any sooner than the effective date of this code.

Local modifications shall comply with Health and Safety Code, Section 18941.5 for Building Standards Law, Health and Safety Code, Section 17958 for State Housing Law or Health and Safety Code, Section 13869.7 for Fire Protection Districts.

1.1.8.1 Findings and filings.

1. The city, county, or city and county shall make express findings for each amendment, addition or

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deletion based upon climatic, topographical or geo- logical conditions.

Exception: Hazardous building ordinances and pro- grams mitigating unreinforced masonry buildings.

2. The city, county, or city and county shall file the amendments, additions or deletions expressly marked and identified as to the applicable findings. Cities, counties, cities and counties, and fire departments shall file the amendments, additions or deletions, and the findings with the California Building Standards Commission at 2525 Natomas Park Drive, Suite 130, Sacramento, CA 95833.

3. Findings prepared by fire protection districts shall be ratified by the local city, county, or city and county and filed with the California Department of Housing and Community Development, Division of Codes and Standards, P.O. Box 1407, Sacramento, CA 95812-1407 or 2020 West El Camino Avenue, Suite 250, Sacramento, CA 95833-1829.

1.1.8.2 Locally adopted energy standards—California Energy Code, Part 6

In addition to the provisions of Section 1.1.8.1 of this Part, the provisions of this section apply to cities, coun- ties, and city and county amending adopted energy stan- dards affecting buildings and structures subject to the California Energy Code, Part 6.

Applicable provisions of Public Resources Code Sec- tion 25402.1 and applicable provisions of Chapter 10 of the California Administrative Code, Part 1 apply to local amendment of energy standards adopted by the California Energy Commission.

1.1.9 Effective date of this code. Only those standards approved by the California Building Standards Commission that are effective at the time an application for building per- mit is submitted shall apply to the plans and specifications for, and to the construction performed under, that permit. For the effective dates of the provisions contained in this code, see the History Note page of this code.

1.1.10 Availability of codes. At least one complete copy each of Titles 8, 19, 20, 24 and 25 with all revisions shall be main- tained in the office of the building official responsible for the administration and enforcement of this code. Each state department concerned and each city, county, or city and county shall have an up-to-date copy of the code available for public inspection. See Health and Safety Code, Section 18942(e)(1) and (2).

1.1.11 Format. This part fundamentally adopts the California Fire Code by reference on a chapter-by-chapter basis. When a specific chapter of the California Fire Code is not printed in the code and is marked “Reserved,” such chapter of the California Fire Code is not adopted as a portion of this code. When a spe- cific chapter of the California Fire Code is marked “Not adopted by the State of California,” but appears in the code, it may be available for adoption by local ordinance.

Note: Matrix Adoption Tables at the front of each chapter may aid the code user in determining which chapter or sections within a chapter are applicable to buildings

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under the authority of a specific state agency, but they are not to be considered regulatory.

1.1.12 Validity. If any chapter, section, subsection, sentence, clause or phrase of this code is for any reason held to be unconstitutional, contrary to statute, exceeding the authority of the state as stipulated by statutes or otherwise inoperative, such decision shall not affect the validity of the remaining portion of this code.