BILL ANALYSIS SB 1220 Page 1 Date of Hearing: August 4, 2010 ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS Felipe Fuentes, Chair SB 1220 (Wolk) - As Amended: June 28, 2010 Policy Committee: TransportationVote:13-0 Urgency: Yes State Mandated Local Program: Yes Reimbursable: No SUMMARY This bill expands the definition of "fire apparatus" for purposes of exempting emergency vehicles from axle weight limits. Specifically, the bill: 1)Expands the definition of "fire apparatus" - which currently includes vehicles used for fire suppression - to also include vehicles used for mitigation of other hazardous situations, consistent with the 2009 edition of Standard 1901 of the National Fire Protection Association.. 2)Provides that the 15% fire apparatus overweight exemption does not apply to supplemental towing and hauling equipment that already exceeds permissible weight limits. 3)States that this bill does not limit the discretion of the department or a local government to deny an application for an overweight permit on the basis of good cause. FISCAL EFFECT No direct state costs, though adoption of expanded definition could result in some unknown additional wear and tear, and hence maintenance costs, on roads overtime. COMMENTS 1)Background . Existing state law establishes maximum length, width, and weight limits for a variety of vehicles and vehicle combinations on state roads. Existing law exempts authorized emergency vehicles, including fire apparatuses that a SB 1220 Page 2 government agency owns and operates from these limitations. These vehicles, however, if purchased on or after January 1, 1994, must comply with permit requirements that the Department of Transportation (Caltrans) adopts. For purposes of this provision, existing law defines a "fire apparatus" as a vehicle or combination of vehicles designed, maintained, and used exclusively for the suppression of fires or for fire prevention activities, including vehicles used for transporting water or other fire suppression materials. The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) is a private, membership organization founded in 1896 to promote the science and improve the methods of fire protection and prevention, electrical safety, and other related safety goals; to obtain and circulate information and promote education and research on these subjects; and to secure the cooperation of its members and the public in establishing proper safeguards against loss of life and property. Among its primary functions, NFPA develops, publishes, and disseminates more than 300 consensus codes and standards intended to minimize the possibility and effects of fire and other risks, including Standard 1901 which prescribes the attributes of various fire apparatuses. 2)Rationale . Fire trucks operated by a public agency are exempt from axle weight limits and can be operated on highways without a transportation permit. The fire service industry is requesting an expansion of this exemption to include other emergency vehicle types in order to address two issues. First, existing axle weight exemptions apply to fire trucks only; they do not apply to other emergency vehicles, such as vehicles for hazardous materials response and search and rescue. The industry asserts that there has been a greater need for emergency response vehicles of all types since September 11, 2001. Second, the federal Office of Homeland Security has been awarding grants to states and local agencies to purchase vehicles that have the capabilities to respond to non-fire emergencies, such as incidents related to hazardous materials, urban search and rescue, weapons of mass destruction, and decontamination. However, California's axle weight exemptions are restricted to just fire trucks, thereby making many of these other emergency vehicles illegal under the state's SB 1220 Page 3 current weight limits. The industry asserts that the expanded exemption may make California more competitive when applying for emergency response grants. Analysis Prepared by : Brad Williams / PPR. / (916) 319-2081