Every three years the State of California repeals, revises and republishes the California Building Standards Code ("CBSC") in its entirety and in doing so adopts and publishes amendments to the included California Fire Code (California Code of Regulations, Title 24, Part 9). Pursuant to California Health & Safety Code section 17958, the CBSC and its California Fire Code become effective in the County of San Diego 180 days after publication. California Health and Safety Code sections 17922, 17958, 17958.5 and 17958.7 provide that the County may adopt the California Fire Code by reference as the County's own fire code and make such changes or modifications that the Board of Supervisors expressly finds are reasonably necessary because of local climatic, geological or topographical conditions. In this chapter, the County adopts modifications and changes to the Fire Code portion of the CBSC that are reasonably necessary because of the County's climatic, geological and topographical conditions.
The County adopts as the County Fire Code, for the unincorporated area of the County, the following: (1) The 2022 California Fire Code portion of the CBSC, including the appendix to Chapter 4 and appendices B, C, D, H, I & O; (2) the 2021 International Fire Code (IFC) and the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) Standards 13, 13-R & 13-D, as referenced in Chapter 80 of the CFC; and (3) the County's amendments in this chapter.
To determine which of these codes governs in any particular case, code amendments adopted by the State of California shall take precedence over the 2021 IFC, and the 2021 IFC shall be used for those code sections not adopted by the State. Amendments the County adopts shall take precedence over both the 2021 IFC and 2022 California Fire Code provisions. Where this Chapter states that a provision of the California Fire Code is revised, referenced, changed, deleted, added or otherwise modified, that means revised, referenced, changed, deleted, added or otherwise modified as it is incorporated into this Chapter.
This County Fire Code is adopted for the protection of the public health and safety and applies to both ministerial and discretionary projects. It includes definitions, provisions for the safeguarding of life and property from fire and explosion hazards arising from the storage, handling and use of hazardous substances, materials and devices, and from conditions hazardous to life or property in the occupancy of buildings, requirements for permits and inspection for installing or altering systems, regulations for the erection, construction, enlargement, alteration, repair, moving, removal, conversion, demolition, equipment use and maintenance of buildings, structures and premises, including the installation, alteration or repair of new and existing fire protection systems and their inspection and provides penalties for violation of this code. It shall apply to all new construction and to any alterations, repairs, or reconstruction, except as otherwise provided for in this chapter.
Nothing in this chapter shall interfere with or impede the authority of the final decision maker authorized to approve, conditionally approve or deny discretionary projects.
(Added by Ord. No. 9915 (N.S.), effective 1-30-08; 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)