Cathedral City Municipal Code Ch. 8.12 California Fire Code, 2022 Edition

Note: Prior ordinance history: Ord. 568.

A. Except for the local amendments set forth herein, there is adopted by reference the California Fire Code 2022 Edition, which is based upon the 2021 International Fire Code and is published by the California Building Standards Commission as Part 9 of Title 24 of the California Code of Regulations. A copy of the Code together with the local amendments is on file with the building department.

B. The California Building Code, 2022 Edition (hereinafter "Fire Code") shall be the Fire Code for the city and said Code together with the adopted appendices and the amendments set forth in this chapter shall regulate and govern the safeguarding of life and property from fire and explosion hazards arising from the storage, handling, and use of hazardous substances, materials and devices, and from conditions hazardous to life or property in the occupancy of buildings and premises, and providing for the issuance of permits and collection of permit fees.

(Ord. 646 § 7, 2007; Ord. 647 § 7, 2008; Ord. 698 § 7, 2010; Ord. 728 § 6, 2013; Ord. 782 § 8, 2016; Ord. 834 § 8, 2020; Ord. 866 § 2, 2022)

A. The following amendment is made to Section 202:

1. Chapter 2 Definitions is amended to add the definitions of "Common Area" and "Cannabis Facilities":

DEFINITIONS

CANNABIS FACILITY:

Cannabis establishments and businesses are required to be licensed by the City of Cathedral City including but not limited to marijuana sales occupancies (dispensaries and distribution centers), marijuana cultivation facilities, marijuana product manufacturing (including extraction and infused product operations), and marijuana testing labs. These establishments or businesses involve unique operations which create significant life safety and fire hazards. As such, all establishments or businesses engaging in cannabis activities shall meet the requirements of the City of Cathedral City Fire Department.

New and/or existing marijuana related establishments or businesses (including unlicensed/non-compliant) may require construction permits or a change of occupancy; this may include access control systems, electrical modifications, addition or deletions of walls, addition or modifications of fire protection systems, modification to mechanical systems (exhaust hood systems), air monitoring equipment. etc.

Reference the Fire Department Guideline for Construction Permitting for Cannabis Establishments / Businesses Located in Commercial Buildings for further information during the construction permitting process.

COMMON AREA:

For the purposes of ADA compliance for visual notification, a common area shall be a room, space, or element made available for use of a restricted group of people (example, occupants of a homeless shelter, the occupants of an office building, or the guests of such occupants). Common areas shall include restrooms, hallways, lobbies, meeting and conference rooms, classrooms, cafeterias, filing and photocopy rooms, employee break rooms, open office areas exceeding 300 square feet, examination and treatment rooms, and similar areas that are not used solely as employee work areas. Mechanical, electrical and telephone closets, janitor closets, and similar non-occupied spaces that are not common areas or assigned work areas are not required to have visual alarm devices.

MID-RISE BUILDING:

Buildings measured from 55 feet to 75 feet above the lowest floor level of fire department vehicular access shall be enhanced with high-rise provisions as set forth in Section 509.1 of the California Fire Code.

MODEL ROCKET:

shall mean any toy or educational device which weighs not more than 500 grams, including the engine and any payload that is propelled by model rocket engines.

MODEL ROCKET ENGINE:

shall mean a commercially manufactured, non-reusable rocket propulsion device which is constructed of a nonmetallic casing and solid propellant, wherein all of the ingredients are self-contained so as not to require mixing or handling by the user and which have design and construction characteristics determined by the State Fire Marshal to provide a reasonable degree of safety to the user.

(All remaining provisions of Section 202 are unchanged)

(Ord. 646 § 7, 2007; Ord. 647 § 7, 2008; Ord. 653 § 3, 2008; Ord. 698 § 7, 2010; Ord. 728 § 6, 2013; Ord. 762 § 1, 2015; Ord. 782 § 8, 2016; Ord. 834 § 8, 2020; Ord. 866 § 9, 2022)

A. There is adopted by reference and with the following additions, deletions and amendments, Appendix Chapter 1, Administration, of the Fire Code:

1. Section 104.7.1 is amended to read as follows:

104.7.1 Legal defense. Any liability against the City of Cathedral City Fire Department or any officer or employee shall be as provided for in California Government Code and case law. Fire suppression, investigation and rescue or emergency medical costs are recoverable in accordance with California Health and Safety Code Sections 13009 and 13009.1. Any person who negligently or intentionally, or in violation of law, causes an emergency response, including but not limited to, a traffic accident or spill of toxic or flammable fluids or chemicals, is liable for the costs of securing such emergency, including those costs set out in Government Code Section 53150, et seq. Any expense incurred by the fire department for securing such an emergency situation shall constitute a debt of such person and shall be collectible by the public agency in the same manner as in the case of an obligation under contract, expressed or implied.

(All other provisions of Section 104.7 are the same.)

2. Section 106.1.1 Plan submittal is added:

106.1.1 Plan submittal. Any plan or master engineering report submitted for review shall be stamped by a California licensed professional architect or engineer.

Exception: Structural plans (new construction or tenant improvement) may be stamped by a California Registered Designers with AHJ approval.

3. Section 111.1 is amended to read as follows:

The Board of Appeals established pursuant to Section 108 of the Fire Code shall serve as the Board of Appeals for this Fire Code. The procedures established in Section 108 for the filing of appeals shall be applicable to appeals filed pursuant to this Code. The Board is created to determine the suitability of alternate materials and methods of fire protection by this Fire Code. The Board shall have no authority to waive requirements of the Fire Code.

(All other provisions of Section 111 are the same.)

4. Section 112.4 is amended to read as follows:

112.4 Violations and penalties. Each person or entity who engages in any of the following conduct is guilty of an infraction violation which is punishable by a fine in an amount provided by the City Municipal Code Section 13.65.050 and by the imposition of any and all other criminal penalties set forth in Chapter 13.65 :

Each person or entity which engages in flagrant and serious violations and/or continued noncompliance after notice or order to comply has been served on the violator or posted on the subject property at which a violation exists is guilty of a misdemeanor violation which is punishable by a fine provided by Municipal Code Section 13.70.080 and by the imposition of any and all other criminal penalties set forth in Chapter 13.70.

Each person or entity is guilty of a separate offense for each day, or portion thereof, during which any violation of any provision of the California Fire Code or this chapter is committed, continued or permitted by such person or entity after notification of the initial violation and shall be punishable according to the terms set forth herein.

The application of the penalties provided for in this section shall be cumulative and shall not prevent the City from pursuing other remedies provided by the City of Cathedral City Municipal Code for said violations including, but not limited to, the abatement of public nuisance conditions.

(All other provisions of Section 112 are the same.)

5. Section 113.4 is amended to read as follows:

113.4 Failure to comply. It shall be unlawful and a violation of this Code for any person to continue any work after having been served with a stop work order, except such work as that person is directed to perform to remove a violation or unsafe condition.

(All other provisions of Section 113 are the same.)

B. A copy of the foregoing modifications, amendments and deletions to Fire Code Appendix Chapter 1 shall be maintained in the city's building and fire departments and available for public inspection.

(Ord. 646 § 7, 2007; Ord. 647 § 7, 2008; Ord. 698 § 7, 2010; Ord. 728 § 6, 2013; Ord. 782 § 8, 2016; Ord. 834 § 8, 2020; Ord. 866 § 9, 2022)

A. There is adopted by reference and with the additions, deletions and amendments adopted herein, Appendix B, Fire Flow Requirements for Buildings, which is a part of the Fire Code. A copy of Appendix B, as amended, shall be maintained in the city's building and fire departments and available for public inspection.

B. The following deletion is made to Appendix B:

Subsection B104.2 (area separation) is deleted from Appendix B.

C. The following amendment is made to Appendix B:

Table B105.2 Required Fire-Flow for Buildings Other Than One- and Two-Family Dwellings, Group R-3 and R-4 Buildings and Townhouses.

Section 903.3.1.1 of the International Fire Code is amended to allow 50% of the value in Table B105.1(2)a.

Section 903.3.1.2 of the International Fire Code is amended to allow 50% of the value in Table B105.1(2)a.

D. The following deletion and amendment is made to Appendix B:

Footnote "a" – The reduced fire-flow shall not be less than 1,000 gallons per minute is deleted.

Footnote "b" – The reduced fire-flow shall not be less than 1,500 gallons per minute and is renumbered to become Footnote "a."

E. The following amendment is made to Appendix B:

Section B106 Referenced Standard

ICC IFC-18 International Fire Code, Table B105.2 to add (as amended). (All other provisions of Appendix B remain the same.)

(Ord. 646 § 7, 2007; Ord. 647 § 7, 2008; Ord. 698 § 7, 2010; Ord. 728 § 6, 2013; Ord. 782 § 8, 2016; Ord. 834 § 8, 2020; Ord. 866 § 9, 2022)

The following chapters of the Fire Code are adopted without local amendments: