Chapter 15.20 — FIRE CODE

The 2025 California Fire Code and State of California Amendments, Volume 1 (Based on the 2024 International Code) including sections, 103.2, 104, 105.5.41, 108.2 114, 311.2, 503 and Appendices B, C, D, thereto published by the International Code Council (ICC) Country Club Hill, IL, and all revisions and amendments theretofore and hereafter adopted by the International Code Council, as codified in Title 24 of the California Code of Regulations, are adopted by reference and made part of this Code as if fully set forth except as hereinafter modified as the Fire Code of the City of Union City pursuant to the provisions of Government Code Section 50020 et seq., State of California.

One copy of the Code and appendices thereto has been filed for use and examination by the public in the office of the City Clerk, 34009 Alvarado-Niles Road, Union City, California.

The rules, regulations, provisions, requirements, orders, and matters established and adopted hereby shall take effect and be in full force on January 1, 2026. (Ord. 2025-006, 11/25/2025)

Code means the California Fire Code, as defined by law and amended by the City of Union City. This code, as amended, shall be known and may be cited as the "Union City Fire Code" or "UCFC" and will be referred to in this title as "this Code." (Ord. 2025-006, 11/25/2025)

§ 15.20.030. Section 103.2, Appointment.

Section 103.2 is amended to read as follows:

103.2 Appointment. The fire code official shall be appointed by the fire chief of the jurisdiction, and the fire code official shall not be removed from office except for cause and after full opportunity to be heard on specific and relevant charges by and before the appointing authority. (Ord. 2025-006, 11/25/2025)

§ 15.20.040. Section 104.6, Official Records.

Section 104.7 is amended to read as follows:

104.7 Official Records. The City of Union City shall keep official records as required by Sections 104.7.1, 104.7.2, 104.7.4, 104.7.5, and 104.7.6. Such official records shall be retained for not less than five years or for as long as the structure or activity to which such records relate remains in existence, unless otherwise provided by other regulations.

Section 104.7.3 is amended to read as follows:

104.7.3 Fire Records. The fire department shall keep a record of fires occurring within the City of Union City and of facts concerning the same, including statistics as to the extent of such fires and the damage caused thereby. (Ord. 2025-006, 11/25/2025)

Section 108.2 is amended to read as follows:

108.2 Schedule of Permit Fees. The City Council may, by resolution, establish a schedule of nondiscriminatory fees to be charged and collected for plans submitted under Section 105.6, solely to defray the City's reasonable costs for plan review of fire protection equipment and systems, requested or required inspection service, and issuance of permits. Permits issued in accordance with Section 105.5 shall be valid for a prescribed period of time or until renewed or revoked.

(Ord. 2025-006, 11/25/2025)

§ 15.20.060. Section 113.4, Violation penalties.

Section 113.4 is amended to read as follows:

113.4 Violations Penalties.

• a. Persons who shall violate a provision of this code or shall fail to comply with any of the requirements thereof, or who shall erect, install, alter, repair, or do work in violation of the approved construction documents or directive or the fire code official or of a permit or certificate used under provisions of this code, shall be guilty of a misdemeanor. Notwithstanding the preceding sentence, a violation of this code may, in the discretion of the fire code official, be charged and prosecuted as an infraction.

• b. Any person convicted of a misdemeanor under this code shall be punished by a fine of not more than one thousand dollars, or by imprisonment, not to exceed six months, or by both such fine and imprisonment.

• c. Any person convicted of an infraction under this code shall be subject to payment of a fine pursuant to the terms set forth in State of California Government Code Section 36900, as that section or its successor reads at the time of the offense. After a third conviction for violation of the same section of this code, subsequent violations of the same section may be charged as a misdemeanor rather than an infraction.

• d. Each such person is guilty of a separate offense for each and every day during any portion of which any violation of this code is committed, continued, or permitted by any such person, and shall be punished accordingly.

• e. Notwithstanding sections a-d to the contrary, any violation of this code may, at the discretion of the fire code official, be treated as an administrative violation and enforced pursuant to Chapter 1.18 of the Union City Municipal Code.

Approval of a request for the use of alternative material, assembly, or materials, equipment, method of construction, method of installation of equipment, or means of protection shall be limited to the case covered by the request and shall not be construed as establishing any precedent for any future request.

Whenever any construction or installation work is being performed in violation of the plans and specifications as approved, a written notice shall be issued to the responsible party to stop work on that portion of the work which is in violation. The notice shall be issued to the responsible party to stop work on that portion of the work which is in violation. The notice shall state the nature of the violations, and no work shall be done on that portion of the project until the violation has been corrected.

Where work for which a permit is required by this chapter is started or proceeds prior to obtaining such permit, a penalty fee, in addition to the permit fee, shall be assessed as follows:

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Violation within Two-Year Period Penalty Fee
First Equal to the permit fee
Second Double the permit fee
Third Ten times the permit fee

The payment of such penalty fee shall not relieve any person from fully complying with all the provisions of this chapter.

(Ord. 2025-006, 11/25/2025)

§ 15.20.070. Section 114, Stop work order.

Section 114.4 is amended to read as follows:

114. Stop Work Order. Whenever any installation of fire protection devices covered by this Code is concealed without first having been inspected, the fire code official may require, by written notice, that such work shall be exposed for inspection.

Any person who shall 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 conditions, shall be subject to fines established by the City of Union City under section 113.4 of this code. Ord. 2025-006, 11/25/2025

Sections 903.2, 903.2.1, 903.2.2, 903.2.3, 903.2.4, 903.2.7, 903.2.8, 903.2.9, 903.2.10, are amended to read as follows:

903.2 Where Required. Approved automatic sprinkler systems in new buildings and structures shall be provided in locations described in Sections 903.2.1 through 902.2.12 and Sections 903.2.14 through 903.2.21.

903.2.1 Group A. An automatic sprinkler system shall be installed in all Group A occupancies. (Sections 903.2.1.1, 903.2.1.2, 903.2.1.3, 903.2.1.4, 903.2.1.5, 903.2.1.6, and 903.2.1.7 are deleted)

903.2.2 Group B. An automatic sprinkler system shall be installed in all Group B occupancies. (Sections 90.3.2.2.1 and 903.2.2.2 are deleted)

903.2.3 Group E. An automatic sprinkler system shall be installed in all Group E Occupancies.

903.2.4 Group F. An automatic sprinkler system shall be installed in Group F occupancies. (Section 903.2.4.1, 903.2.4.2 and 903.2.4.3 are deleted)

903.2.7 Group M. An automatic sprinkler system shall be installed in all Group M occupancies. (Section 903.2.7.1, 903.2.7.2, and 903.2.7.3 are deleted).

903.2.8 Group R. An automatic sprinkler system shall be installed in all Group R occupancies, including modular units. (Section 903.2.8.1 and 903.2.8.3 are deleted).

903.2.9 Group S-1. An automatic sprinkler system shall be installed in all Group S-1 occupancies. (Sections 903.2.9.1, 903.2.9.2, 903.2.9.3, and 903.2.9.4 are deleted)

903.2.10 Group S-2. An automatic sprinkler system shall be installed in all Group S-2 occupancies.

(Sections 903.2.10.1 and 903.2.10.2 are deleted).

(Ord. 2025-006, 11/25/2025)

§ 15.20.090. Section 903.6, Where required in existing buildings and structures.

Section 903.6 is amended to read as follows:

903.6 Where required in existing buildings and structures. All occupancies where modifications are being requested, regardless of the reason, shall require an automatic fire extinguishing system to be installed in the entire structure. When one of the following conditions exists:

1. When more than 50% of the exterior walls and the roof are being removed or replaced.

2. When the existing fire area is increased by more than 50%.

3. When an addition to a single-family home causes the structure to exceed 2,500 square feet in fire area.

4. When required by Chapter 11.

5. When the estimated value of modifications is more than 50 percent (50%) of the value of the structure.

• (Ord. 2025-006, 11/25/2025)