Public Safety Reports

SECTION 7. ESSENTIAL RESOURCES

FIRE PREVENTION, CODE ENFORCEMENT, PUBLIC EDUCATION, AND

INVESTIGATIONS

The fire prevention services currently provided in the City and District are separate and unique

operations. Both entities operate under the same fire code (2013 California Fire Code), but the

code review process including fire plans review and fire inspection processes are carried out

separately. CAL FIRE provides fire prevention services in the City as part of their contractual

arrangements. CAL FIRE has assigned a Fire Marshal (Captain) who oversee all aspects of the

municipal code enforcement processes. The Fire Marshal is assisted by a part-time contract

employee who has primary responsibility for fire plans review for new construction projects. In

addition, the plans review and permit process is managed through the City Building Department

and the Fire Marshal and the contract employee work closely with city officials in managing a

significant workload. Fire code review and inspection services in the County are managed

through the County Fire Marshal. The County Fire Marshall is an employee of the Santa Clara Fire

Department often referred to as “Central Fire Protection District.” Central is a dependent fire

protection district that provides a full range of fire, EMS, and fire prevention services in the

northwest sections of unincorporated Santa Clara County. Central Fire was the previous provider

of fire and EMS services in the City. Both Fire Marshals work closely with their respective Planning

and Building Departments in the management of the development process. The District also

employs a part-time contract employee who is responsible for maintenance inspections and

code violations that are typically complaint driven. The City of Morgan Hill has established a

number of performance measures related to the fire plans review and inspection processes

utilized in the City. There are no related performance measures that are applicable in the

District. In addition, CAL FIRE engine companies conduct an estimate 600 in-service fire

inspections annually in Morgan Hill. There are very few in-service engine company fire inspection

currently being done in the District.

Recommendation: CAL FIRE should institute an in-service engine company fire

inspection process in SSCCFD.

Fire suppression and response, although necessary in minimizing property damage, have little

impact on preventing fires. Rather, public fire education, fire prevention, and built-in fire

protection and notification systems are essential elements in protecting citizens from death and

injury due to fire. Both the City and District currently utilize the 2013 California Fire Code (CFC),

which utilizes by reference the 2012 International Fire Code. Both agencies are in the process of

updating the current version of the code with plans to move to the 2016 version.

Automatic fire sprinklers have proven to be very effective in reducing fire loss and minimizing fire

deaths in residential structures. Many communities have been reluctant to impose code

provisions that require these installations. The 2013 California Fire Code includes the requirement

for automatic fire sprinklers in single family and duplex residential structures. This provision is

applicable in both the District and the City. According to the NFPA, the average cost nationally

for installing automatic fire sprinklers in new, single family residential structures is estimated to be

$1.61 per square foot.

For a 2000 square-foot home, the estimated cost would be

approximately $3,220. This can be less than the cost of granite counter tops or a carpeting

upgrade. In addition, many homeowner insurance policies provide a discount for homes

NFPA, “Cost of Installing Residential Fire Sprinklers Averages $1.61 per Square Foot” Quincy, MA: September 11, 2008.