Section 202 of the California Fire Code is revised by adding or modifying the following definitions:
ACCESSORY DWELLING UNIT. Defined as an attached or a detached residential dwelling unit which provides complete independent living facilities for one or more persons. It shall include permanent provisions for living, sleeping, eating, cooking, and sanitation on the same parcel as the single-family dwelling is situated. An accessory dwelling unit also includes the following:
(a) An efficiency unit, as defined in Section 17958.1 of the Health and Safety Code.
(b) A manufactured home, as defined in Section 18007 of the Health and Safety Code.
AERATED STATIC PILE. A composting process that uses an air distribution system to blow or draw air through the pile. Little or no pile agitation or turning is performed.
BLASTER. A person who has been approved by the Sheriff to conduct blasting operations and who has been placed on the list of approved blasters. The listing shall be valid for one year unless revoked by the Sheriff.
BLASTING AGENT. A material or mixture consisting of a fuel and oxidizer intended for blasting. The finished product as mixed and packaged for use or shipment shall not be detonated by means of a No. 8 test blasting cap when unconfined.
BLASTING OPERATION. The uses of an explosive device or explosive material to destroy, modify, obliterate or remove any obstruction of any kind.
BLASTING PERMIT. A permit issued by the Issuing Officer pursuant to section 105.6.15. The permit shall apply to a specific site and shall be valid for a period not to exceed one year.
BLAST SITE. The geographically defined area, as shown on a project map or plot plan, where a blaster is authorized by a blasting permit issued under this section to conduct a blasting operation.
CHIPPING AND GRINDING. An activity that mechanically reduces the size of organic matter.
COMPOSTING OPERATION. An operation that is conducted for the purpose of producing compost. The operation shall be by one or more of the following processes used to produce a compost product: static pile, windrow pile or aerated static pile.
DEAD-END ROAD. A road that has only one point of vehicular ingress/egress, including cul-de-sacs and looped roads.
DISTANCE MEASUREMENT. All specified or referenced distances are measured along the ground, unless otherwise stated.
DWELLING UNIT. Any building or portion thereof which contains living facilities including provisions for sleeping, eating, cooking and/or sanitation for not more than one family.
ENCLOSED. Closed in or fenced off.
EXPLOSIVES PERMIT. A permit to possess or use explosives, issued by the Issuing Officer, pursuant to California Health and Safety Code sections 12000 et seq. and Chapter 56 of this code. An explosives permit shall be valid for a period not to exceed one year, as provided in the permit conditions.
FIRE APPARATUS ACCESS ROAD. A road that provides fire apparatus access from a fire station to a facility, building or portion thereof. This is a general term that includes, but is not limited to a fire lane, public street, private street, driveway, parking lot lane and access roadway.
FIRE AUTHORITY HAVING JURISDICTION (FAHJ). The designated entity providing enforcement of fire regulations as they relate to planning, construction and development. The FAHJ may also provide fire suppression and other emergency services.
FIRE CHIEF. The fire chief is one of the following:
(a) The person appointed by the Board of Supervisors to serve as fire chief in the unincorporated areas not within a fire protection district.
(b) The chief officer of a fire protection district.
(c) The Fire Warden or her or his delegated representative when enforcing section 96.1.5608.1 of this Chapter.
FIRE CODE OFFICIAL. The Fire Warden or her or his delegated representative, the fire chief or a duly authorized representative, or other person as may be designated by law, appointment or delegation and charged with the administration and enforcement of this Chapter.
FIRE DEPARTMENT. Any regularly organized fire department, fire protection district, fire company, or legally formed volunteer fire department registered with the County of San Diego regularly charged with the responsibility of providing fire protection to a jurisdiction.
FIRE HAZARD. Any condition or conduct which: (a) increases or may increase the threat of fire to a greater degree than customarily recognized as normal by persons in the public service regularly engaged in preventing, suppressing or extinguishing fire or (b) may obstruct, delay, hinder or interfere with the operations of the fire department or the egress of occupants in the event of fire.
FIRE PROTECTION DISTRICT. Any fire protection district created under State law and any water district providing fire protection services.
FUEL MODIFICATION ZONE. A strip of land where combustible vegetation has been thinned or modified or both and partially or totally replaced with approved fire-resistant and/or irrigated plants to provide an acceptable level of risk from vegetation fires. Fuel modification reduces the radiant and convective heat on a structure and provides valuable defensible space for firefighters to make an effective stand against an approaching fire front.
GREENWASTE. Organic material that includes, but is not limited to, yard trimmings, plant waste, manure, untreated wood wastes, paper products and natural fiber products.
HARDSCAPE. Concrete, gravel, pavers or other non-combustible material.
HAZARDOUS FIRE AREA. Any geographic area mapped by the State or designated by a local jurisdiction as a moderate, high or very high fire hazard area or which the FAHJ has determined is a hazardous fire area, because the type and condition of vegetation, topography, weather and structure density increase the probability that the area will be susceptible to a wildfire.
HOGGED MATERIALS. Mill waste consisting mainly of hogged bark but may include a mixture of bark, chips, dust or other by-product from trees and vegetation.
INSPECTOR. For the purposes of section 96.1.5601.2, an inspector is a person on the Issuing Officer's approved list of inspectors authorized to conduct inspections, before and after a blast. To be on the Issuing Officer's approved list, an inspector shall have a blasting license issued by Cal/OSHA.
MAJOR BLASTING. A blasting operation that does not meet the criteria for minor blasting.
MID-RISE BUILDING. A building four stories or more high, but not exceeding 75 feet in height and not defined as a high-rise building by section 202 of the California Building Code. Measurements shall be made from the underside of the roof or floor above the topmost space that may be occupied to the lowest fire apparatus access road level.
MINOR BLASTING. A blasting operation that meets all of the following criteria: quantity of rock to be blasted does not exceed 100 cubic yards per shot, bore hole diameter does not exceed 2 inches, hole depth does not exceed 12 feet, maximum charge weight does not exceed 8 pounds of explosives per delay and the initiation of each charge will be separated by at least 8 milliseconds. The maximum charge weight shall not exceed the Scaled Distance as shown below:
Distance from Blast Site (In Feet) | Scale-Distance Factor |
0 - 300 | Mandatory Seismic Monitoring |
301 - 5,000 | 55 |
5,000+ | 65 |
MULCHING. The process by which mixed greenwaste is mechanically reduced in size for the purpose of making compost.
RESPONSE TIME. The elapsed time from the fire department's receipt of the first alarm to when the first fire unit arrives at the scene.
SKY LANTERN. An unmanned device with a fuel source that incorporates an open flame in order to make the device airborne.
STATIC PILE. A composting process that is similar to the aerated static pile except that the air source may or may not be controlled.
STRUCTURE. That which is built or constructed, an edifice or building of any kind, or any piece of work artificially built up or composed of parts joined together in some manner.
TRAVEL TIME. The estimated time it would take for a responding agency to travel from the fire station to the furthest structure in a proposed development project, determined by measuring the safest, most direct, appropriate and reliable route with consideration given to safe operating speeds for heavy fire apparatus.
WINDROW COMPOSTING PROCESS. The process in which compostable material is placed in elongated piles. The piles or windrows are aerated and/or mechanically turned on a periodic basis.
WOOD CHIPS. Chips of various species of wood produced or used in chipping and grinding operations.
(Added by Ord. No. 9915 (N.S.), effective 1-30-08; amended by Ord. No. 10014 (N.S.), effective 11-13-09; amended by Ord. No. 10173 (N.S.), effective 10-28-11; amended by Ord. No. 10224 (N.S.), effective 10-25-12; repealed and reenacted by Ord. No. 10337 (N.S.), effective 6-19-14; repealed and reenacted by Ord. No. 10465 (N.S.), effective 4-14-17; repealed and reenacted by Ord. No. 10659 (N.S.), effective 3-26-20; repealed and reenacted by Ord. No. 10833 (N.S.), effective 4-13-23)