Chapter 9.65 — FIRE AND LIFE SAFETY

No person shall drive, run, propel, haul or move, or cause to be driven, run, propelled, hauled or moved any automobile, wagons, vehicles, cart, or any other thing on or over any fire hose.

Parking Distance From. No person shall park or leave standing any automobile, wagon or other vehicle or obstacle, upon any street, alley, or other place nearer than fifteen (15) feet from any fire hydrant.

All fire and emergency apparatus and vehicles belonging to the Fire Department and the Chief of said Department and the members thereof shall have the paramount right-of-way through all streets, alleys, places and courts in the City when going to or returning from any fire or other emergency, and all persons must give such Department and every part or portion thereof the free and unobstructed use of the street, alley, place or court, over and along which any such apparatus is moving, either in going to or returning. Upon the sounding of any alarm of fire or upon the approach of any portion of the fire apparatus while going to or returning from a fire, all persons and all vehicles occupying the street, alley, or place along or over which such apparatus is being moved shall immediately take and be removed to the side of the street, and shall stop and wait at the side of such street until the Fire Department shall have passed before again proceeding.

No person shall travel nearer than three hundred (300) feet to any part or portion of the fire apparatus of the City while the apparatus is going to or from any fire or other emergency.

Unauthorized Handling. No person, without the authorization of the Chief of the Fire Department, shall touch or handle any part or portion of the fire extinguishing or emergency equipment of the City.

Except as otherwise provided in this Section, no person shall use, operate, or allow to be used or operated, any internal combustion engine which uses hydrocarbon fuels on any forest-covered land, brush-covered land, or grass-covered land unless the engine is equipped with a spark arrester as defined in subdivision (b), maintained in effective working order or the engine is constructed, equipped, and maintained for the prevention of fire pursuant to this Section.

• (a) Spark arresters affixed to the exhaust system of engines or vehicles, subject to this Section, shall not be placed or mounted in such a manner as to allow flames or heat from the exhaust system to ignite any flammable material.

• (b) A spark arrester is a device constructed of non-flammable materials specifically for the purpose of removing and retaining carbon and other flammable particles over 0.0232 of an

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City of Norco, CA

NORCO CODE

§ 9.65.06

§ 9.65.12

inch in size from the exhaust flow of an internal combustion engine that uses hydrocarbon fuels or which is qualified and rated by the United States Forest Service.

Any person, or adult or guardian if juvenile, utilizing an internal combustion engine on any grass-covered or brush-covered land shall be responsible for any emergency and response costs as a result of the use if the act is intentional or careless; or if accidental, if said equipment is found to be defective or deficient of any required spark arrester.

All equipment installed for the detection of fires in residential structures shall meet National Fire Code Pamphlet 72.

Automatic telephone dialing devices shall not be connected to any Fire Department or Fire Dispatch Center telephone number unless approved by the Fire Chief.

In areas designated as moderate, high or extreme fire hazard, non-fire resistive and dead vegetation shall be cleared within 30 feet of any structure. Ground cover vegetation will be permitted provided they do not form a means of readily transmitting fire to any structure.

• A. Fuel modification shall be provided and maintained within a distance from buildings or structures as follows:

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Interface Area Fuel Modification Distance
Moderate 30
High 100
Extreme 200
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Areas shall be determined by the Fire Chief based on slope, fire weather, topography, and available water supply.

• B. Fire Hazard Severity Zones Map. In accordance with Government Code Sections 51175 through 51189, the moderate, high, and very high fire hazard severity zones designated by the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, as shown on the Fire Hazard Severity Zones map dated March 24, 2025, and retained on file at the office of the Fire Chief, are hereby adopted by reference. This map supersedes any previously adopted fire hazard severity zones or related maps within the jurisdiction of the City of Norco.

• (Ord. 1131 Sec. 1, 2025)

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City of Norco, CA

PEACE, SAFETY AND MORALS

§ 9.65.12

§ 9.65.21

No person shall place, store or park any object, material or vehicle in any established exit way, driveway, gateway, alleyway, designated fire lane or any access roadway required by the California Fire Code, whether on public or private property, which would hamper the egress of building occupants from or in the ingress of Fire Department emergency vehicles to any occupied structure.

(Ord. 831, 02/16/2005)

Permits are required for the plan review and inspection of the following fire protection equipment or hazardous condition: Fire sprinkler, detection, alarm, restaurant hood extinguishing, specialty extinguishing, private water and hydrant systems, and for flammable and combustible liquid tanks, hazardous materials use and storage.

Plan review and permit fees for the above shall be collected by the Fire Department at the time an application for Permit is filed. Said fees to be paid shall be set by the Council from time to time by Resolution duly adopted by the Council.

• (a) Validity. The granting of said permits or approval of plan specifications shall not be construed to permit or approve any violation of any provision of this Code. The issuance of a permit, based on approved plans and specifications, shall not prevent the Fire Chief from thereafter requiring the correction of errors subsequently detected in said plans and specifications or from preventing building operations being carried on thereunder when in violation of this Code, or any other Ordinance of the City.

• (b) Expirations. Every permit issued under the provisions of this Section shall expire, and become null and void, if the work authorized by such permit is not commenced within 120 days from the date of such permit, or if the work authorized by such permit is suspended or abandoned at any time after the work is commenced for a period of 120 days. Before such work can be recommenced, a new permit shall first be obtained to do so, and the fee therefore shall be one-half the amount required for a new permit for such work; provided that no charges have been made in the original plans and specifications for such work; and provided; further, that such suspension or abandonment has not exceeded one year. Issuance of a permit under authority of this Section does not confer any right for construction beyond the specific item authorized therein and shall not be construed as authority for construction of any structure or portion thereof for which a separate permit is required.

• (a) It shall be unlawful for any person to give, signal or transmit or for any person to cause or permit to be given, signalled or transmitted in any manner any false alarm, or be responsible for a false alarm occurring. The responsible party for a false alarm or the responsible guardian in the case of a minor may be appraised a false alarm fee of $175.00 for each incident. This fee may only be waived by the Fire Chief.

• (b) A fire alarm malfunction response fee may be assessed against an alarm company, if said alarm company is determined to be responsible for multiple fire alarm responses within a 365-consecutive-day period. The schedule for those fees are as follows:

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City of Norco, CA

NORCO CODE

§ 9.65.21

§ 9.65.45

The third response within a 365-consecutive-day period shall be a $200.00 assessment.

The fourth response within a 365-consecutive-day period shall be a $300.00 assessment.

The fifth response or any subsequent responses within a 365-consecutive-day period shall be a five hundred ($500) dollar assessment. Only the Fire Chief may waive the assessments.

After numerous alarm malfunctions resulting in a response of the Fire Department, the Fire Chief may require that the system be removed from service, which may necessitate the occupancy, ceasing its use until such time as the system can be installed and properly maintained and unnecessary responses are mitigated.

Fire protection equipment installation and maintenance shall be according to the standards approved by the Fire Chief, and the current published standards of the National Fire Protection Association adopted herein and known as Pamphlets NFPA 10, NFPA 13, NFPA 13D, NFPA 13R and NFPA 72.

There is hereby established a Fire Department for the City of Norco, which shall be operated under the supervision of the Chief of the Fire Department.

The expense of each response or any action by the Norco Fire Department which is the result of a violation of this Code or the California Fire Code, or any damage caused by malicious mischief, or any action determined to be intentional or negligent requiring any response assistance, corrective or preventative action conducted by the Fire Department personnel shall be a charge against the responsible person, company or agent whose violation or action caused the Fire Department response or action. The expense of such response or action shall constitute a debt of such person, company or agent, and the Fire Chief shall keep an itemized account of said expenses. The Fire Department shall give notice of said expenses to such persons, companies or agents, and a hearing as to the validity and amount of such charge shall be conducted before an impartial hearing officer within thirty (30) days, if requested in writing within ten (10) days of the date of such notice. The hearing officer's determination shall be final. The City may take such actions as are reasonable and necessary to recover such expenses from any and all responsible persons, companies or agents.

(Ord. 716, 1997; Ord. 831, Sec. 2, 02/16/2005)

Reimbursement for costs associated with responses to emergencies resulting from assault or battery crimes, use of illegal drugs or controlled substances, and other crimes according to the Penal Code or Health and Safety Code shall be the responsibility of the suspect, arrested or convicted person(s) unless such person(s) are acquitted or released for insufficient evidence. Such costs shall be established by Resolution.

(Ord. 721, 1997)

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City of Norco, CA § 9.65.45 PEACE, SAFETY AND MORALS

§ 9.65.45

Reimbursement for costs associated with responses to emergencies involving drug labs or manufacturing shall be the responsibility of the arrested or convicted person(s) unless such person(s) are acquitted or released for insufficient evidence. If a rental or lease agreement is in effect at the time of response, the property owner shall be held jointly and severally responsible for such costs. Such costs shall be established by Resolution. (Ord. 721, 1997)

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City of Norco, CA

PEACE, SAFETY AND MORALS

§ 9.70.010

§ 9.70.040