Article 16-60

EARLY WARNING FIRE ALARM SYSTEM Sections:

(a) Findings and purpose. The City Council finds and determines as follows:

(1) Utilization of current technology in the detection and warning of fire will significantly enhance the level of protection from such hazard while at the same time maximizing the effectiveness of existing equipment and facilities for emergency responses.

(2) Certain areas of the City have been designated as the Wildland-Urban Interface Fire Area on the City's Wildland-Urban Interface Fire Area Map, which are defined as any land covered with grass, grain, brush or forest which is so situated or is of such inaccessible location, that a fire originating upon such land would present an abnormally difficult job of suppression or would result in great and unusual damage through fire or resulting erosion. The response time of emergency equipment to calls for aid in the hazardous fire areas is impaired due to the nonavailability of access to some portions of such areas, the existence of steep, narrow streets and roadways located in such areas, the lack of connecting streets and roadways in such areas, and the unusual topography of such areas. Further, the presence of heavy vegetation in the Wildland-Urban Interface Fire Area increases the potential for the rapid spread of any fire which may start in such areas, particularly during seasonal dry spells.

(3) A substantial portion of the new single-family dwellings being constructed in the City are larger struc-

tures, typically in excess of five thousand square feet with three-car garages. By reason of their size, a fire in these structures can be more difficult to extinguish.

(4) The risk of fire to persons and property within multi-family dwellings and structures containing multiple sleeping units is proportionately greater because of the higher density of occupants. Immediate warning of the existence and location of fire will serve to reduce the possibility of death, injury and property damage.

(5) Because commercial buildings and community facilities are public gathering places, the public health and safety risks of fire are particularly acute. Immediate warning of the existence and location of fire will serve to reduce the possibility of death, injury and property damage in these structures.

(6) The public safety and welfare may necessitate installation of an early warning fire alarm system in a commercial structure or community facility, depending upon the facts and circumstances to be evaluated by the Fire Chief in each individual case.

(7) It is the goal and policy of the City, as set forth in the Safety Element of the General Plan, to require installation of an early warning fire alarm system as hereinafter provided in this Section. The purpose of this Section is to implement such goal and policy.

(b) Mandatory requirement for installation of alarm system. Installation of an early warning fire alarm system in accordance with the provisions of this Article is required as a condition for the granting of any building or other permit under this Chapter 16 in each of the following cases:

(1) All new residential structures classified as "R" occupancies in the most recent version of the California Building Code, commercial structures and community facilities located within the designated WildlandUrban Interface Fire Area.

(2) Any existing structure classified as an "R" occupancy in the most recent version of the California Building Code, commercial structure or community facility which is expanded by fifty percent or more in floor area and is located within the designated WildlandUrban Interface Fire Area.

(c) Discretionary requirement for certain "R" occupancies, commercial structures and community facilities. Where an existing commercial structure or community facility is remodeled and such commercial structure or community facility regardless of size, is located within the designated Wildland-Urban Inter-

(Saratoga Supp. No. 57, 1-26)

438.13

16-60.010

face Fire Area, then the Chief of the Fire District having jurisdiction over the project, may require the installation of an early warning fire alarm system in accordance with this Article as a condition for the granting of any building or other permit under this Chapter 16. The determination by the Fire Chief shall be based upon any one or more of the following considerations:

(1) An occupant load increase of fifty percent or more.

(2) New commercial cooking operations.

(3) Hazardous materials storage for which a permit is required.

(4) The principal use involves the care or supervision of building occupants such as day care facilities for children or senior citizens.

(d) Determination of floor area and fifty percent expansion.

(1) As used in this Section, the term "commercial structure" includes, but is not limited to, office buildings, retail stores, restaurants, repair shops, and industrial buildings, and the term "community facility" includes, but is not limited to, schools, theatres, churches, meeting halls and conference centers;

(2) The determination of floor area is as defined in Chapter 15; and

(3) For the purposes of this Section, any expansion shall be considered as equaling or exceeding the fifty percent limit where the work of construction or improvement is done at different time intervals requiring two or more building permits, within a period of five years after completion of the first improvement, where although each is for a project encompassing an expansion of less than fifty percent of increased floor area, but when combined with other expansions during the five-year period of time increase the amount of floor area of the structure by fifty percent or more of that amount which existed immediately prior to the commencement of the first of the several expansions. (Amended by Ord. 242 § 2 (Exh. 4) (part), 2006; Ord. 245 § 2 (Att. A) (part), 2006; Ord. No. 265, § 2.B.5, 4-15-2009; Ord. No. 294, § 1.B.4., 9-5-2012; Ord. No. 320, § 1.G.28, 11-5-2014; Ord. No. 326, § 1(Att. 1), 6-3-2015)

e the amount of floor area of the structure by fifty percent or more of that amount which existed immediately prior to the commencement of the first of the several expansions. (Amended by Ord. 242 § 2 (Exh. 4) (part), 2006; Ord. 245 § 2 (Att. A) (part), 2006; Ord. No. 265, § 2.B.5, 4-15-2009; Ord. No. 294, § 1.B.4., 9-5-2012; Ord. No. 320, § 1.G.28, 11-5-2014; Ord. No. 326, § 1(Att. 1), 6-3-2015)

Editor’s note— Ord. No. 320, § 1.G.28, adopted Nov. 5, 2014, amended the entirety of § 16-60.010 to read as herein set out and subsequently amended. Said section formerly pertained to application of Article; requirement for installation of alarm system.

Early warning alarm systems shall comply with the current adopted California Building Code and California Residential Code as amended by this Section.

(1) R-3 occupancies shall provide a "household fire alarm system" required by the California Residential Code for Smoke Alarms (2013 CRC section R314) and installed in accordance with NFPA 72 (2010 NFPA 72 chapter 29) or current equivalent adopted code.

(2) All occupancies, other than R-3 listed above, shall have fire alarm systems installed in accordance with the California Fire Code (2013 CFC Section 907) with no exceptions allowed for occupant load. (Amended by Ord. 242 § 2 (Exh. 4) (part), 2006) (Ord. No. 326, § 1(Att. 1), 6-3-2015)

(a) All documentation relative to the proposed installation shall be submitted to the Fire District for approval. Notwithstanding any other provisions of this Code, alternatives to the adopted standards and requirements may be approved if the Chief of the Fire District having jurisdiction over the property where an alternative is to be installed determines that such alternative will perform the early warning notification function as well or better than the adopted standards.

(b) The Fire Districts may establish a fee for the plan checking services rendered pursuant to this Section. (Amended by Ord. 242 § 2 (Exh. 4) (part), 2006) (Ord. No. 310, § 2, 12-4-2013; Ord. No. 326, § 1(Att. 1), 6-3-2015)

All early warning fire alarm systems shall be installed by a person holding a valid fire protection engineering license, or a qualified and experienced contractor with a valid C-10 Electrical Contractor's License issued by the California Contractors State License Board. All such systems shall be installed in a workmanlike manner and in accordance with the specifications and standards approved by the Fire District. Upon completion of the installation, the licensed installer shall instruct the property owner, or his designated representative, in the use of the system and shall provide applicable manufacturer's operating manuals. (Amended by Ord. 242 § 2 (Exh. 4) (part), 2006)

438.14

(Saratoga Supp. No. 57, 1-26)

16-60.080

The Fire District having jurisdiction over the property shall be responsible for conducting inspections and approving or disapproving any system installed in a structure pursuant to this Article. The Fire Districts may establish a fee for the inspection services rendered pursuant to this Section. The licensed installer shall provide the Fire District having jurisdiction with a set of as built plans for the system. (Amended by Ord. 242 § 2 (Exh. 4) (part), 2006)

Editor’s note— Ord. No. 326, § 1(Att. 1), adopted June 3, 2015, repealed § 16-60.055, which pertained to recorded notice of fire alarm system and derived from Ord. 242 § 2 (Exh. 4)(part), 2006.

Nothing contained in this Article shall prohibit any person from voluntarily installing and maintaining an early warning fire alarm system as described in this Article in any type of building or structure within the City. (Amended by Ord. 242 § 2 (Exh. 4) (part), 2006) (Ord. No. 326, § 1(Att. 1), 6-3-2015)

(a) Any violation of this Article shall constitute an infraction and a public nuisance for which penalties may be imposed and other relief sought as provided in Chapter 3 of this Code. As a separate or cumulative remedy, a Notice of Code Violation may also be recorded pertaining to such violation, in accordance with the provisions of Section 16-60.080.

(b) In addition to any other persons having enforcement authority, the Chief of the Fire District having jurisdiction over the property on which an early warning alarm system is installed, or the Fire Chief's designated representative, shall have authority to enforce the provisions of this Article. (Ord. No. 265, § 2.B.6, 4-15-09)

(a) Whenever the Chief of the Fire District having jurisdiction over the property on which an early warning alarm system is installed, or the Fire Chief's designated representative ("Fire Chief") has knowledge of a violation of any provision of this Article, the Fire Chief may give written notice of such violation to the owner of the property on which the early warning fire alarm system has been installed. Violations may in-

clude failure to install, operate, or maintain the alarm system in accordance with the applicable standards and requirements adopted by the Saratoga Fire District. Such notice shall be mailed to person and address as shown on the records of the Fire District, or if such record does not exist or is known to be inaccurate, to the person and address as shown on the latest available County assessment roll or as otherwise known to the Fire Chief.

(b) If the property owner fails to correct the violation within the time specified in the notice, or such additional time as may be granted by the Fire Chief, a further written notice may be given of the Fire Chief's intention to record a Notice of Code Violation in the office of the County Recorder. The notice of intent shall describe the nature of the violation and inform the owner that a Notice of Code Violation will be recorded unless a hearing before the Board of Fire Commissioners of the Saratoga Fire District is requested by the owner within twenty days from the date of the notice.

(c) In the event a hearing is not requested and the violation has not been corrected, or in the event that after the conduct of a hearing by the Board of Fire Commissioners of the Saratoga Fire District, and consideration of all evidence presented thereat by the owner, the Board determines that a violation of this Article in fact exists, the Fire Chief may record a Notice of Code Violation in the office of the County Recorder.

(d) At the request of the affected property owner or other interested person and upon determination by the Fire Chief that the violation described in the Notice has been fully corrected and no longer exists, the Fire Chief shall furnish to the owner or other interested person a notice of expungement of the previously recorded Notice of Code Violation.

(e) The recording of a Notice of Code Violation pursuant to this Section shall be in addition to any other rights, remedies or actions available to the Fire District by reason of the same violation as described in the notice.

(Ord. No. 265, § 2.B.7, 4-15-09; Ord. No. 326, § 1(Att. 1), 6-3-2015)

438.15

(Saratoga Supp. No. 57, 1-26)

16-65.010