BILL ANALYSIS Ó
ACR 93
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Date of Hearing: July 15, 2015
ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON LOCAL GOVERNMENT
Brian Maienschein, Chair
ACR 93
(Holden) - As Introduced June 30, 2015
SUBJECT: Fire safety: municipal ordinances.
SUMMARY: Encourages all California municipalities to reexamine
regulations surrounding mandatory fire suppression ordinances.
Specifically, this bill:
1)Resolves that the Legislature encourages all California
municipalities to reexamine regulations surrounding mandatory
fire suppression ordinances, and makes a number of findings,
including the following:
a) The first automatic sprinkler system was patented in
England in 1723 and the first fire sprinkler system was
developed in the United States in 1874;
b) Fire suppression technology was first used in
residential construction in the state in 1932 when the
Union Oil Company constructed homes for employees in Santa
Paula, California;
c) The City of San Clemente, California was the first city
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in the nation to adopt an ordinance requiring all new
residential dwellings to contain fire sprinklers;
d) Senate Bill 2579 was introduced in the California State
Senate in 1986 and would have required fire sprinklers in
all residential buildings;
e) In January 1988, the California State Fire Marshall
published California's minimum design and installation
standards for fire suppression systems;
f) On May 4, 1988, several floors of the First Interstate
Tower, a downtown Los Angeles high-rise office tower built
without fire sprinklers, ignited killing one and injuring
40 others. Subsequent reports indicated a working fire
suppression system would have lessened the fire's damage;
g) Following the First Interstate Tower fire, the City of
Los Angeles mandated automatic fire suppression systems in
all buildings over seven stories;
h) Buildings should be provided with built-in fire
suppression systems to offset the negative impact of
excessive response times;
i) On April 7, 2015, a massive fire burned through a
six-floor office building in Los Angeles, a building that
was exempted from mandatory fire suppression regulations
because of its age and size.
FISCAL EFFECT: None
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COMMENTS:
1)Bill Summary. ACR 93 makes a number of findings and
encourages all California municipalities to reexamine
regulations surrounding mandatory fire suppression ordinances,
and is an author-sponsored measure.
2)Author's Statement. According to the author, "For decades,
California cities have led the nation in the development and
deployment of fire suppression technology. The City of Santa
Paula was the first city in America to feature new home
developments with built-in fire sprinklers. The City of San
Clemente was the first city in the nation to mandate fire
sprinklers in all new construction. Since the 1980's, the City
of Los Angeles has been a leader in deploying fire suppression
technology in high-rise buildings. Following the First
Interstate Bank Tower building fire in 1988, Los Angeles
required all buildings over seven-stories to install fire
sprinklers, regardless of the building's age.
"Numerous studies and state findings have shown that fire
sprinklers significantly reduce the loss of life and property
that stems from delayed response times inherent in
firefighting. However, the state does not regulate fire
suppression technology outside of school and buildings owned
by the state. Existing law provides significant discretion to
local governments to adopt ordinances related to fire
suppression technology in buildings. According to the Los
Angeles Times, over six thousand buildings are due for
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inspection by the Los Angeles Fire Department. More than half
are large, high-occupancy buildings that are at risk of fire
damage due to their age, size, approved use, and the quality
of the internal fire suppression technology in place to
prevent calamities. Recent fires, including a multi-alarm
fire in an office building in Los Angeles, have highlighted
the existing gap in fire suppression technology. Many older
buildings have been "grandfathered" into existing building
codes related to fire suppression, causing a gap in existing
fire safety measures."
REGISTERED SUPPORT / OPPOSITION:
Support
California Fire Chiefs Association
Fire Districts Association of California
Opposition
None on file
Analysis Prepared by:Debbie Michel / L. GOV. / (916) 319-3958
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