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HomeMy WebLinkAbout13-038 - Resolutions RESOLUTION NO.FD 13-038 A RESOLUTION OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF THE RANCHO CUCAMONGA FIRE PROTECTION DISTRICT, RANCHO CUCAMONGA, CALIFORNIA, SETTING FORTH FINDINGS WITH RESPECT TO LOCAL CLIMATIC, GEOLOGICAL,AND TOPOGRAPHICAL CONDITIONS WHICH MAKE CHANGES, MODIFICATIONS, AMENDMENTS, ADDITIONS, DELETIONS, AND EXCEPTIONS TO THE CALIFORNIA FIRE CODE REASONABLY NECESSARY. A. Recitals. 1. The Board of Directors(herein after"Board")of the Rancho Cucamonga Fire Protection District (herein after"District')has determined that: a. The Health and Safety Code Section 17958 provides that the District shall adopt ordinances and regulations imposing the same,modified,or changed requirements as are contained in the regulations adopted by the State of California(herein after"State") pursuant to Health and Safety Code Section 17922; and b. The State is mandated by Health and Safety Code Section 17922 to impose the same requirements as are contained in the most recent edition of the California Fire Code; and c. Health and Safety Code Section 17958.5(a)permits the District to make changes or modifications to the California Fire Code which are reasonably necessary because of local climatic, geological,or topographical conditions;and d. Health and Safety Code Section 17958.7 requires that the Board, before making any changes or modifications to the California Fire Code, shall make an express finding that such changes or modifications are reasonably necessary because of local climatic, geological,or topographical conditions. 2. The Board has determined that local climatic, geological,and topographical conditions do exist that make changes and modifications to the California Fire Code reasonably necessary and that those conditions are: a. Geological i. The District has within its boundaries active seismic hazards along five known earthquake faults. Seismic activity events within the District occur throughout the year and a fire potential exists with these events. Existing structures and planned new development are at serious risk from an earthquake. This risk includes fire, collapse, and the disruption of water supply for firefighting purposes. Areas can become isolated and/or be subject to delayed responses as a result of bridge,overpass,and road damage and debris. ii. Due to its location along the foothills of the San Bernardino Mountains, the District is subjected to flood conditions during rain episodes. Some of the major arterial streets in the District are designed to function as part of the flood control system and are at times impassable as a result of high, swift-moving running Resolution No. FD 13-038- Page 1 of 4 water. Other streets are often damaged and/or clogged with debris during flooding episodes creating delayed responses by emergency apparatus. In the wildland-urban interface fire areas, roads are often washed out or obstructed by landslides. iii. The District's jurisdiction includes a significant amount of Wildland-Urban Interface Fire Area comprised of both State and Local Responsibility Areas. The native vegetation in these areas of the south aspect of the San Bernardino Mountains is capable of and has in the past produced wildfire conflagrations that threaten large numbers of homes and businesses and have in the past destroyed homes and other buildings. b. Topographical i. The District is situated on an inclined plane that increases from approximately 1,400 feet in elevation on the south side of the District to approximately 2,400 feet in elevation on the north side of the District. This elevation change occurs across approximately seven miles creating several roads with steep slopes that slow fire apparatus and produce extended response times. ii. The District contains two freeways and several main arterial streets that connect several of the foothill cities. Traffic conditions on any given day, absent geological or climatic complications, are sufficient to cause delayed responses by fire apparatus. The District also has several at-grade railroad crossings that are used daily by commuter and freight trains. Train traffic across these grades causes extended response times or the need to dispatch additional units that can respond from the opposite of the train crossing. iii. The flood control system in the District relies on many mid-block, at-grade drainage channels that create dips in roads that require fire apparatus to slow their response in order to prevent damage to the vehicles. Other rises and troughs designed to carry flood waters during rain episodes that are built into major arterial streets create elevation changes dramatic enough to produce fire apparatus damage if they are not traversed at significantly reduced speeds. Reduced speeds along these main thoroughfares create extended response times. C. Climatic i. The District is bounded on the east and the west by canyons that channel seasonal Santa Ana winds from the desert to the ocean. Santa Ana winds in the District have a history of sustained velocities of 40-60 miles per hour with gusts in excess of 80 miles per hour.The winds create damage that includes downed power lines, downed utility poles, fallen trees, and blowing dust and debris. These hazards create extended response times. The wind and its resulting damage often result in the loss of electric power supplied by the public utility resulting in the possibility of fire alarms, fire pumps, other fire and life safety protection equipment, and traffic signals being rendered ineffective. Resolution No. FD 13-038- Page 2 of 4 ii. The summer and early fall months often see periods of high temperatures and low humidity that quickly dry out the native chaparral and other foothill vegetation as well as the historic windrows planted when the area was a mostly agricultural area. The combination of low humidity, Santa Ana winds, and high temperatures creates ideal wildfire weather conditions capable of producing catastrophic wildland conflagrations. The District has experienced a number of fires during the course of its existence. Such fires quickly deplete the District's resources and the resources of neighboring jurisdictions as these fire events are generally large regional events that span several cities and many miles. B. Resolution. NOW, THEREFORE,the Board of Directors of the Rancho Cucamonga Fire Protection District hereby finds and resolves as follows: 1. The facts set forth in the Recitals, Part A, of this Resolution are true and correct. 2. Changes, modifications,amendments, additions, deletions, and exceptions to the California Fire Code are reasonably necessary in the District. 3. The reasonably necessary changes, modifications, amendments, additions, deletions, and exceptions to specific sections of the California Fire Code are listed along with the applicable findings in a matrix appended to this resolution, marked as Exhibit A, and incorporated by reference herein. 4. The aforementioned changes, modifications, amendments, additions, deletions,and exceptions have been incorporated in detail in Ordinance FD 54. 5. The Secretary of the Board shall file copies of this Resolution and Ordinance FD 54 with the California Building Standards Commission and Department of Housing and Community Development, as required by Health and Safety Code Section 17958.7. Resolution No. FD 13-038 - Page 3 of 4 PASSED,APPROVED,AND ADOPTED this 16"day of October 2013. AYES: Alexander, Michael, Spagnolo, Steinorth, Williams NOES: None ABSENT: None ABSTAINED: None L L. nm ichael, President ATTEST: ��. &�0�6 J/ice C. Reynolds, Sec tary 1, JANICE C. REYNOLDS, SECRETARY of the Rancho Cucamonga Fire Protection District, do hereby certify that the foregoing Resolution was duly passed, approved, and adopted by the Board of Directors of the Rancho Cucamonga Fire Protection District, at a Regular Meeting of said Board held on the 10 day of October 2013. Executed this 17th day of October 2013 at Rancho Cucamonga, California. J ice C. Reynolds, Sec tary Resolution No. FD 13-038 - Page 4 of 4