Los Angeles Municipal Code § 57.107 Inspections

Section 107 of the CFC is hereby adopted in its entirety with the following exceptions, modifications, and additions.

The Chief shall have the authority to inspect all buildings, structures, premises, ships, boats, vessels, aircraft, tanks, vehicles, or the appurtenances and equipment thereof, as often as may be necessary for the purpose of ascertaining and causing to be corrected any conditions liable to cause fire or explosion or any violation of the provisions or intent of this article and of any other law affecting the fire hazard not exclusively enforced by

another governmental agency, and to insure compliance with all laws, regulations, and orders dealing with overcrowding, use of decorative materials, maintenance of exit ways, and maintenance of private fire alarm and fire detecting systems and fire extinguishing systems and appliances.

The Chief shall have the authority to inspect any contract, policy, agreement, proof of loss, correspondence, or other written matter pertaining to or in connection with specific adjustments made or carried on by any person licensed as an insurance adjuster or private investigator in the State of California.

The Chief shall have the authority to require such drawings, plans, or sketches as may be necessary to identify the location of all the following:

1. Occupancy access points.

2. Devices and systems within the scope of Chief’s Regulation No. 4 (Appendix P).

3. Utility controls.

4. Stairwells.

5. Hazardous materials/waste.

Whenever it is necessary to make an inspection to enforce any of the provisions of, or perform any duty imposed by, this article or other applicable law, or whenever the Chief or the Chief’s authorized representative has reasonable cause to believe that there exists in any building, structure, ship, boat, vessel, aircraft, tank or vehicle, or the appurtenances and equipment thereof or upon any premises any violation of the provisions of this article or other applicable law, or any condition which makes such building, structure, ship, boat, vessel, aircraft, tank, vehicle, or premises hazardous, unsafe, or dangerous, the Chief is hereby authorized to enter such building, structure, ship, boat, vessel, aircraft, tank, vehicle, or premises at any reasonable time and to inspect the same and perform any duty imposed upon the Chief by this article or other applicable law, subject to Sections 57.107.6.1 through 57.107.6.3.

If such property be occupied, the Chief shall first present proper credentials to the occupant and request entry, explaining the reasons therefor.

If such property be unoccupied, the Chief shall first make a reasonable effort to locate the owner or other persons having charge or control of the property and request entry, explaining the Chief’s reasons therefor. If such entry is refused or cannot be obtained because the owner or other persons having charge or control of the property cannot be found after due diligence, the Chief shall have recourse to every remedy provided by law to secure lawful entry and inspect the property.

Notwithstanding the foregoing, if the Chief has reasonable cause to believe that the building or premises is so hazardous, unsafe or dangerous as to require immediate inspection to safeguard the public health or safety, the Chief shall have the right to immediately enter and inspect such property, and may use any reasonable means required to effect such entry and make such inspection, whether such property be occupied or unoccupied and whether or not permission to inspect has been obtained. If the property be occupied, the Chief shall first present proper credentials to the occupant and demand entry, explaining the reasons therefor and the purpose of the inspection.

The Department shall charge and collect a fee for any Requested Inspection. A Requested Inspection shall be conducted at the specific request of a building or business owner to determine whether a building and business are Fire Code compliant. Upon receipt of payment of the requisite fee and verification that the building and business are Fire Code compliant, the Fire Department will provide a Fire Clearance Letter confirming said compliance. If the inspection reveals Fire Code violations which require curing, a Notice of Violation will be issued and an additional Requested Inspection fee collected prior to issuing a Fire Clearance Letter reflecting compliance.

The fee for a Requested Inspection shall be established in the same manner as provided for the establishment of fees in Section 57.106.7.1.1.