HomeMy WebLinkAboutItem 10b - Fire Inspections Annual Report
STAFF REPORT
FIRE DEPARTMENT
DATE: October 6, 2026
TO: Honorable Mayor and City Council
FROM: Chen Suen, Fire Chief
By: Mark Krikorian, Fire Marshal
SUBJECT: RESOLUTION NO. 7713 ACKNOWLEDGING RECEIPT OF A REPORT MADE
BY THE FIRE CHIEF OF THE ARCADIA FIRE DEPARTMENT REGARDING
INSPECTIONS OF CERTAIN OCCUPANCIES REQUIRED BY SECTIONS
13146.2 AND 13146.3 OF THE CALIFORNIA HEALTH AND SAFETY CODE
CEQA: Not a Project
Recommendation: Adopt
SUMMARY
Since 2019, the City has been required to provide the City Council with an annual
report documenting inspections of specified occupancies, commonly referred to as
“sensitive uses”. These occupancies include public and private schools, hotels,
motels, lodging houses, and apartment houses, including residential care facilities.
As in previous years, the attached report demonstrates the City’s compliance with
the State-mandated inspection requirements. It is recommended that the City
Council adopt Resolution No. 7713, acknowledging receipt of the Fire Chief’s report
regarding the inspection of certain occupancies, as required by Sections 13146.2 and
13146.3 of the California Health and Safety Code, for Calendar Year 2025.
BACKGROUND
The California State Fire Marshal, through California’s Health and Safety Code,
mandates that certain occupancies be inspected annually. In December 2016, a
deadly fire at an Oakland warehouse (known as the “Ghost Ship”) killed 36 people,
the highest death toll for a structural fire in the United States in over 10 years.
Investigations into this tragic event revealed that, although the State required annual
Resolution No. 7713 - Fire Inspections Annual Report
October 6, 2026
Page 2 of 3
inspections on various occupancies, the inspection reports were not mandated to be
reported to any governing body. This lack of oversight hindered accountability and
enforcement efforts, which could have helped ensure structural facilities met
building safety standards. Consequently, on September 27, 2018, Senate Bill 1205
was signed into law, legislating the reporting of annual inspections to its
administering authority (such as a City Council) in a resolution or a similar document.
DISCUSSION
By adopting Resolution No. 7713, Arcadia will be able to fulfill the annual fire
inspection reporting requirements of Sections 13146.2 and 13146.3 of the California
Health and Safety Code. According to this law, annual building inspections and
reporting must be conducted on two groups of occupancies: Educational Group E
and Residential Group R.
Educational Group E occupancies consist of child daycare facilities, and public and
private schools through the 12th grade that are used by more than six persons at one
time for educational purposes. Residential Group R occupancies are those containing
sleeping units such as hotels, motels, lodging homes, and apartments (with three
units or more), including residential care facilities.
Over the years, Arcadia has remained one of the few cities to have consistently
conducted its annual fire inspections to meet and exceed the State’s annual
inspections requirement, pursuant to the California Health and Safety Code. For
Calendar Year 2025, 63 occupancies under Group E (Educational Occupancies) were
inspected, resulting in a 100% inspection compliance. In Group R (Residential
Occupancies), 595 occupancies were inspected, producing an equivalent 100%
inspection compliance. Copies of the individual inspection reports are available to
the public upon request.
ENVIRONMENTAL ANALYSIS
The proposed action does not constitute a project under the California
Environmental Quality Act (“CEQA”), as it can be seen with certainty that it will have
no impact on the environment.
Resolution No. 7713 - Fire Inspections Annual Report
October 6, 2026
Page 3 of 3
FISCAL IMPACT
There is no immediate fiscal impact by adopting Resolution No. 7713; however,
through regular inspections of sensitive uses and ensuring compliance with
associated health and safety codes, the City can potentially reduce costs for lifesaving
activities and property losses in the future.
RECOMMENDATION
It is recommended that the City Council determine that this action does not
constitute a project under the California Environmental Quality Act (“CEQA”); and
adopt Resolution No. 7713 acknowledging receipt of a report made by the Fire Chief
of the Arcadia Fire Department regarding inspections of certain occupancies
required by Sections 13146.2 and 13146.3 of the California Health and Safety Code.
Attachment: Resolution No. 7713
1
RESOLUTION NO. 7713
A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF ARCADIA,
CALIFORNIA, ACKNOWLEDGING RECEIPT OF A REPORT MADE BY THE
FIRE CHIEF OF THE ARCADIA FIRE DEPARTMENT REGARDING
INSPECTIONS OF CERTAIN OCCUPANCIES REQUIRED BY SECTIONS
13146.2 AND 13146.3 OF THE CALIFORNIA HEALTH AND SAFETY CODE
WHEREAS, California Health & Safety Code Section 13146.4 was adopted in
2018, and became effective on September 27, 2018; and
WHEREAS, California Health & Safety Code Sections 13146.2 and 13146.3
require all fire departments, including the Arcadia Fire Department, that provide fire
protection services to perform annual inspections in every building used as a public
or private school, hotel, motel, lodging house, apartment house, and certain
residential care facilities for compliance with building standards; and
WHEREAS, California Health & Safety Code Section 13146.4 requires all fire
departments, including the Arcadia Fire Department, that provide fire protection
services to report annually to its administering authority on its compliance with
Sections 13146.2 and 13146.3; and
WHEREAS, the Council of the City of Arcadia intends this Resolution to fulfill
the requirements of the California Health & Safety Code regarding acknowledgment
of the Arcadia Fire Department’s compliance with California Health and Sections
13146.2 and 13146.3.
2
NOW, THEREFORE, THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF ARCADIA, DOES HEREBY
FIND, DETERMINE AND RESOLVE AS FOLLOWS:
SECTION 1. The City Council of the City of Arcadia expressly acknowledges
compliance by the Arcadia Fire Department with California Health and Safety Code
Sections 13146.2 and 13146.3 within the jurisdiction of the City, as follows:
A. EDUCATIONAL GROUP E OCCUPANCIES:
Educational Group E occupancies are generally childcare facilities, and public
and private schools used by more than six persons at any one time for educational
purposes through the 12th grade. Within the City of Arcadia, there are 63 Group E
occupancies, buildings, structures and/or facilities.
During calendar year 2025, the Arcadia Fire Department completed the annual
inspection of 63 Group E occupancies, buildings, structures and/or facilities. This is
a compliance rate of 100% for this reporting period.
B. RESIDENTIAL GROUP R OCCUPANCIES:
Residential Group R occupancies, for purposes of this Resolution, are generally
those occupancies containing sleeping units, and include hotels, motels, apartments
(three units or more), etc. as well as other residential occupancies (including a
number of residential care facilities). These residential care facilities have a number
of different sub-classifications, and they may contain residents or clients that have a
range of needs, including those related to custodial care, mobility impairments,