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Community Development Agency, Development Services Division, recommending the Board consider the following pertaining to the 2013 Fire Code regarding West Slope Fire Agencies:
1) Adopt Resolution 212-2014 regarding the Cameron Park Community Services District,
Resolution 213-2014 regarding the Diamond Springs-El Dorado Fire Protection District,
Resolution 214-2014 regarding the El Dorado County Fire Protection District,
Resolution 215-2014 regarding the El Dorado Hills County Water District,
Resolution 216-2014 regarding the Georgetown Fire Protection District,
Resolution 217-2014 regarding the Latrobe Fire Protection District,
Resolution 218-2014 regarding the Mosquito Fire Protection District,
Resolution 219-2014 regarding the Pioneer Fire Protection District, and
Resolution 220-2014 regarding the Rescue Fire Protection District to do the following:
a) Ratify the Fire Agency Amendments to the 2013 Fire Code, with clarifications;
b) Delegate enforcement authority of the Fire Code to the Fire Chief of the local Fire Agencies except for one and two family dwellings; and
c) Delegate the Building Official as an agent of the Fire District for enforcement of the Fire Code of one and two family dwellings. The local Fire District shall remain the authority.
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Fiscal Impact/Change to Net County Cost:
There is no Fiscal Impact or change to Net County Cost associated with this item
Background:
The El Dorado County Fire Prevention Officers Association requests the Board of Supervisors ratify the Building Standards Amendments of the 2013 Fire Code, as adopted by the individual Fire Agencies, and approves the Building Official as an agent for the local Fire Districts. This request is from nine local Fire Agencies intent on ratifying Building Standards Amendments to the 2013 Fire Code. These Fire Agencies have worked diligently to agree on a very similar set of amendments so there is consistency within the West Slope of the County. Two Fire agencies are not currently represented in this request, but may come forward later in the year.
Fire Code Amendments: The proposed El Dorado County Resolution and Fire District Ordinances and Resolutions are included as Attachments pages A through I. The Amendments which are "Building Standards" are individually listed on the resolutions and must be ratified by the Board of Supervisors. Other "Non-Building Standards" amendments, mostly administrative in nature, which are not subject to ratification by the Board of Supervisors, were also adopted by the Agencies.
The California State Fire Code is mandated by the State and is updated on a three-year cycle. It does not require ratification and is automatically enacted at the local level. Although local jurisdictions do not have authority to modify the State Code, they may adopt additional and more stringent requirements. The attached Amendments are not mandated, but are being recommended by the local Fire Agencies to address unique local climatic, geologic, and topographic conditions.
Representatives from the Fire Agencies will be available at the public hearing to provide explanation and answer the Board's questions regarding their Amendments.
Delegation of Agent: The El Dorado County Building Official or his representative will act as an agent for the local Fire District for Fire Safe Regulations of permits regulated by Title 24 part 2.5 (California Residential Code); however, the local Fire District shall be the authority on appeal.
Fire Agencies: There are 13 separate Fire Agencies in the unincorporated portions of El Dorado County. There are nine Fire Agencies represented in this request:
Cameron Park Community Services District,
Diamond Springs-El Dorado Fire Protection District,
El Dorado County Fire Protection District,
El Dorado Hills County Water District,
Georgetown Fire Protection District,
Latrobe Fire Protection District,
Mosquito Fire Protection District,
Pioneer Fire Protection District, and
Rescue Fire Protection District.
There are four Fire Agencies not represented: Fallen Leaf Lake CSD, Garden Valley Fire Protection District, Lake Valley Fire Protection District, and Meeks Bay Fire Protection District. Lake Valley Fire Protection District, and Meeks Bay Fire Protection District are submitting separately from the above listed fire agencies due to unique circumstances in the Tahoe region.
Resolution: There is a separate resolution for each Fire Agency's Fire Code Amendments. Each Fire Agency Resolution will rescind their applicable Fire Code Resolution adopted in 2011. It is important to recognize that the County is only ratifying the Building Standards portion and is not ratifying the Non-Building Standards.
Community and Economic Development Advisory Committee (CEDAC) Consultation: During August and September of 2013, the El Dorado County Fire Prevention Officers formally met with representation of CEDAC to ensure that their needs and concerns were addressed in the fire code adoption process. These issues included driveways, dead end roads, road widths, road access, Subdivision Map Act consistency, and Fire Safe Regulations. The fire agencies made revisions to their code amendments to resolve concerns presented by CEDAC.
Land Development Manual (LDM): In 2011, El Dorado County Development Services Department, in conjunction with the Department of Transportation, Environmental Management Department, County Surveyor's Office, the Economic Development Advisory Committee, and local fire district personnel, worked on the development of a Land Development Manual (LDM), intended to replace the Design and Improvement Standards Manual. The LDM will provide design standards and information regarding the development of land in the County, addressing roads, lot design, fire protection, water, sewage disposal, mapping requirements, and other design criteria. Formal adoption of the draft LDM would be beneficial in providing clarification on the details needed for successful development in El Dorado County.
Road Access Standards: Much of the controversy over the Fire Code from years prior surrounded issues with road access standards. In 2013, the State did not adopt Section 503, Fire Apparatus Access Roads, of the California Fire Code. Due to the State's action in this code adoption cycle, local fire agencies have flexibility in dealing with issues that surround road access standards.
Action to be taken following Board approval
Clerk of the Board to obtain the Chair's signature on the Resolutions and send a fully-executed copy of the Resolutions to the Division for implementation.
Contact
Tom Burnette, Deputy Director/Building Official
Roger Trout, Development Services Division Director
Community Development Agency
Concurrences
El Dorado County Fire Prevention Officer's Association