To: Board of Supervisors
From: Lewis Broschard, Chief, Contra Costa County Fire Protection District
Report Title: Ordinance No. 2025-14, adopting the 2025 California Fire Code, with local amendments
☐Recommendation of the County Administrator ☐ Recommendation of Board Committee
RECOMMENDATIONS:
Acting in its capacity as the Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors and as the Board of Directors of the Crockett-Carquinez Fire Protection District and the Contra Costa County Fire Protection District:
1. INTRODUCE Ordinance No. 2025-14, adopting the 2025 California Fire Code, with local amendments, as the fire code within Contra Costa County, the Contra Costa County Fire Protection District, and the Crockett-Carquinez Fire Protection District; WAIVE reading; and FIX November 4, 2025 at the Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors meeting at 9:00 a.m. as the hearing date for the proposed adoption of the ordinance.
2. DIRECT the Clerk of the Board to publish notice of the hearing pursuant to Government Code section 6066.
3. AUTHORIZE the preparation of an ordinance summary by County Counsel and the publication of the summary in accordance with Government Code section 25124.
4. DIRECT the Clerk of the Board of Supervisors to post at its office, and each Fire District to post at its office, a copy of the full text of Ordinance No. 2025-14.
BACKGROUND/REASONS FOR RECOMMENDATIONS
The California Building Standards Commission has adopted and published the 2025 Building Standards Code, which includes the 2025 California Fire Code prepared and adopted by the State Fire Marshal. The statewide code becomes effective January 1, 2026.
Although the code applies statewide, Health and Safety Code sections 13869.7, 17958.5, and 18941.5 authorize a local jurisdiction to modify or change the statewide code and establish more restrictive standards if the jurisdiction finds that the modifications and changes are reasonably necessary because of local climatic, geological, or topographical conditions. Ordinance No. 2025-14 adopts the 2025 California Fire Code and amends it to address local conditions. There are no material changes to the local ordinance previously adopted by the Board in the 2022 code adoption process, and the amendments previously adopted by the Board are either now reflected in the new 2025 California Fire Code or are reflected in the proposed ordinance.
The attached ordinance amends the 2025 California Fire Code by amending Chapter 1 (Scope and Administration) of the statewide Fire Code by requiring a permit for certain activities and operations that pose fire hazards. The ordinance amends the statewide Fire Code by incorporating into Chapter 3 (General Precautions Against Fire) the fire districts’ exterior fire hazard control requirements. The ordinance amends Chapter 4 of the statewide Fire Code (Emergency Planning and Preparedness) to require standby EMS personnel for large events as well as standby fire personnel to account for the fact that the fire district is both the local fire and EMS provider. The ordinance amends Chapter 5 (Fire Service Features) and Appendix D (Fire Apparatus Access Roads) of the statewide Fire Code to establish requirements for fire apparatus access roads to include protection of designated emergency evacuation routes as adopted by the local governing body as part of their emergency evacuation plan. The ordinance amends the statewide Fire Code by reducing the square footage thresholds found in Chapter 9 (Fire Protection Systems) for installation of automatic fire sprinkler systems in most commercial buildings and in private and charter schools. The ordinance amends Chapter 50 (Hazardous Materials - General Provisions) of the statewide Fire Code to enhance fire service response and information available to occupancies in the District. The ordinance amends Chapter 56 (Explosives and Fireworks) of the statewide Fire Code to prohibit all fireworks in the District without a permit and an increase to the financial liability for permitted events. The ordinance amends Chapter 57 (Flammable and Combustible Liquids) of the statewide Fire Code to amend where above ground storage tanks may be located. The ordinance amends Chapter 58 (Flammable Gasses and Flammable Cryogenic Fluids) of the statewide Fire Code to amend where storage may be located. The ordinance amends Appendixes B and C (Fire-Flow Requirements for Buildings, Fire Hydrant Locations and Distribution) of the statewide Fire Code to amend the reduction of fire flow needed and the location of where hydrants are required.
Notice of the public hearing will be published in accordance with Government Code section 6066. A summary of the ordinance will be prepared and published in accordance with Government Code section 25124(b).
FISCAL IMPACT:
The fiscal impact is neutral. The adoption of this ordinance will provide the administrative authority to enforce the provisions of the California Fire Code as amended.
CONSEQUENCE OF NEGATIVE ACTION:
Without the adoption of the 2025 California Fire Code (CFC) with local amendments, the Fire District will not have the legal authority to enforce or the ability to conduct fire and life safety inspections in occupancies other than high-rise buildings, schools, hotels, motels, apartments, and day care facilities. In addition, without adoption of the CFC, occupancies that conduct operations such as the production, storage, and sale of hazardous materials, places of assembly, and the review of construction documents and testing of fire protection and fire alarm systems would no longer be regulated by the Fire District.
Furthermore, adoption of the 2025 CFC is necessary to continue allowing the Fire District to collect fees to recover the costs of providing fire prevention related services. Without adoption of the CFC, as amended, the Fire District general fund revenues would be required to provide the fiscal support necessary to fund the positions currently supported by operational permit and inspection fees and new construction plan review fees. This would result in a decrease in the amount of general fund revenues available for conducting emergency response activities or critical fire prevention services and personnel would need to be reduced or eliminated.
Attachments: Ordinance No. 2025-14
Findings in support of Ordinance No. 2025-14