BILL ANALYSIS
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|SENATE RULES COMMITTEE | SB 1220|
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THIRD READING
Bill No: SB 1220
Author: Wolk (D)
Amended: As introduced
Vote: 27 - Urgency
SENATE TRANSPORTATION & HOUSING COMMITTEE : 8-0, 5/4/10
AYES: Lowenthal, Huff, Ashburn, DeSaulnier, Kehoe,
Oropeza, Pavley, Simitian
NO VOTE RECORDED: Harman
SUBJECT : Vehicles: emergency vehicles: fire apparatus
SOURCE : California Fire Chiefs Association
DIGEST : This bill expands the list of vehicles exempt
from size and weight limits in state law to include
vehicles that are used to transport personnel and equipment
under emergency conditions, to support the suppression of
fires, or to mitigate other hazardous situations.
ANALYSIS : Existing state law establishes maximum length,
width, and weight limits for a variety of vehicles and
vehicle combinations on the state's roads, as follows:
1. The total length of a combination of vehicles (tractor
and trailers) is limited to 65 feet.
2. Vehicle width is limited to 102 inches.
3. Combinations of vehicles may not exceed a total weight
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of 80,000 pounds, while lower maximum weights apply for
certain vehicles based on their number of axles and the
stances between axles.
Existing law exempts authorized emergency vehicles,
including fire apparatuses, that a government agency owns
and operates from these limitations, but these vehicles, if
they were 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.
Existing law specifically excludes from the definition of
"fire apparatus" vehicles used in hazardous materials
response, dedicated rescue vehicles, command post
communications vehicles, passenger vehicles, buses, mobile
kitchens, mobile sanitation facilities, and heavy equipment
transport vehicles.
This bill deletes the existing definition of a fire
apparatus and instead defines it as "a vehicle designed to
be used under emergency conditions to transport personnel
and equipment, or to support the suppression of fires or
mitigation of other hazardous situations, consistent with
Standard 1901 of the National Fire Protection Association."
Comments
National Fire Protection Association . 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
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and other risks, including Standard 1901 which prescribes
the attributes of various fire apparatuses.
FISCAL EFFECT : Appropriation: No Fiscal Com.: No
Local: No
SUPPORT : (Verified 5/5/10)
California Fire Chiefs Association (source)
Alameda County Fire Department
Alpine Fire Protection District
Arcata Fire Protection District
Benicia Fire Department
Beverly Hills Fire Department
Big Bear City Fire Department
Calexico Fire Department
California State Firefighters Association EMS Committee
Central Calaveras Fire and Rescue District
Central Valley Fire Chiefs Association
Chino Valley Fire District
Cosumnes Fire Department
Deer Springs Fire Protection District
Ebbetts Pass Fire Protection District
El Dorado Hills Fire Department
Encinitas Fire Department
Escondido Fire Department
Fire Districts Association of California
Folsom Fire Department
Georgetown Fire Protection District
Herald Fire Protection District
Humboldt No. 1 Fire Protection District
Lodi Fire Department
Lompoc Fire Department
Montebello Fire Department
Napa Fire Department
National City Fire Department
Newberry Springs Fire Department
North County Fire Authority
Quincy Fire Protection District
Rancho Cucamonga Fire Protection District
Rancho Santa Fe Fire Protection District
Riverside County Fire Department
Sacramento Metropolitan Fire District
San Bruno Fire Department
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San Diego County Fire Chiefs' Association
San Diego County Fire Districts Association
San Mateo Fire Department
Santa Clara County Fire Department
Santa Maria Fire Department
Scotts Valley Fire Protection District
South San Francisco Fire Department
UC Davis Fire Department
Vacaville Fire Protection District
Valley of the Moon Fire Protection District
Williams Fire Protection Authority
Windsor Fire Protection District
ARGUMENTS IN SUPPORT : The author's office asserts that
the existing definition of "fire apparatus" became obsolete
after, in response to the events of September 11, 2001, the
federal Office of Homeland Security developed a local
response strategy that included the use of emergency
response vehicles that are not traditionally considered to
be "designed primarily for fire suppression." Such
vehicles include hazardous materials vehicles and urban
search and rescue vehicles among others. Many of these new
and necessary vehicles do not meet California's definition
of "fire apparatus" due to their size and weight. Not only
does this hinder local agencies' ability to lawfully
respond to emergency situations, but it also impairs
California's ability to utilize federal grant money to
purchase necessary vehicles because many of them are
illegal under California's weight law.
The author's office notes that Caltrans is in the final
stages of updating its regulations to address the
recommendations of the federal Office of Homeland Security
as well as the National Fire Protection Association.
Proponents assert that Caltrans cannot make this final
change in its regulations until the statutory definition is
changed. The author introduced this bill to accomplish
this statutory change, so that the definition of "fire
apparatus" more adequately reflects those types of vehicles
that California's fire service agencies use under emergency
conditions.
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JJA:mw 5/5/10 Senate Floor Analyses
SUPPORT/OPPOSITION: SEE ABOVE
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