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HomeMy WebLinkAbout01/09/2007, PH4 - ADOPTION OF A POST-DISASTER SAFETY ASSESSMENT PLACARDS ORDINANCE i council DI j acEnaa Repom C I TY O F SAN LU IS O B 1 S P 0 FROM: John Mandeville,Community Development Direct Prepared By: Tim Girvin,Chief Building Official SUBJECT: Adoption of a Post-Disaster Safety Assessment Placards Ordinance CAO RECOMMENDATION Introduce an ordinance to create official placards that enables the Chief Building Official to legally restrict occupancy of damaged buildings after a disaster occurs. DISCUSSION The purpose of this report is to disclose the requirements of the California OES Safety Assessment Program Guidelines, and approve official Safety Assessment Placards that will enable the City to restrict use of damaged structures. Background In July, 1987, the California Governor's Office of Emergency Services (OES), California Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development (OSHPD), and Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), jointly awarded Applied Technology Council (ATC) a contract to develop procedures for post-earthquake safety evaluation of buildings. The objectives of the project were to: 1) Develop and document qualitative procedures and guidelines for safety evaluation of buildings damaged in earthquakes; and 2) Provide appropriate training and field manuals and materials describing the methodology. As a result of that effort a report entitled the ATC-20 report was developed establishing procedures and guidelines for the post-earthquake safety evaluation of buildings. The procedures in the report are written specifically for volunteer engineers, building inspectors, and structural engineers from city building departments and other regulatory agencies, which would be required to make on-the- spot evaluations and decisions regarding continued use and occupancy of damaged buildings. A companion field manual (ATC-20-1 Report) summarizes the ATC -20 methodologies in a brief concise format designed for easy field use. ' These documents were made available in 1989,just one month before the Loma Prieta Earthquake. Therefore, that disaster provided an opportunity to test these plans and guidelines in a large- magnitude event that impacted multiple jurisdictions. State OES determined from this experience that the original Safety Assessment Plan for Volunteer Engineers required revisions. [� r qT — 1 i Council Agenda Report—Post-Disaster Safety Assessment Placards Page 2 In 1991, State OES expanded the original plan to include local government employees as resources for safety assessments. In 1992, State OES completed and published the Post-Disaster Safety Assessment Plan outlining how local and state government would access the program and what resources would be available. In 2003, State OES expanded that program to include state government employees. Safety Assessment Program(SAP) In June, 2003, OES made available the Post-Disaster Safety Assessment Program (SAP) Guideline to the Activation and Utilization of Program Resources. This publication is a guide for use by local agencies and professional organizations to assist with the organization, function and implementation of a Safety Assessment Program. Safety assessment is the process by which buildings of all occupancies and lifelines such as hospitals, water and wastewater facilities, airports, roads,bridges and other infrastructure are evaluated for their safety for immediate occupancy or continued use following a disaster. The SAP guidelines were developed to ensure local government building departments throughout the state had a standardized method to handle resources during an emergency. The guide is also intended to provide architects, engineers, and building inspectors with techniques and principles to conduct safe evaluations of damaged buildings and structures. Through quickly evaluating structures for continued occupancy, we can reduce the demands on shelters and reduce shelter needs. The process of evaluating structures is based on the procedures established in ATC-20. Additionally, the SAP establishes protocols to mobilize personnel to disaster sites throughout the state in order to evaluate their building stock and lifeline systems after a disaster occurs. Concept of Emergency Operations During the response to a disaster, the "lowest level of government is "on site"; therefore local resources will be in charge. For a city, this will often default to the local building department. Within the State of California all jurisdictions use the Standardized Emergency Management System (SEMS) to respond to any type of emergency or disaster. Under SEMS the State of California has been divided into six mutual aid regions.. The purpose of the mutual aid region is to provide for more effective application and coordination of mutual aid and other emergency related activities. Through requests for mutual aid, agencies can request evaluators to assist their workforce in times of emergency. Evaluator Qualifications Local jurisdictions often have concern regarding the qualifications of participants in the program to perform safety assessments. Minimum standards have been established through SAP guidelines in conjunction with the professional organizations and local government. The following qualifications have been established for individuals to be registered into the Safety Assessment Program: ■ Professionally registered California Engineers T —� Council Agenda Report—Post-Disaster Safety Assessment Placards Page 3 ■ Professionally registered California Architects ■ Professionally registered California Geologists ■ Certified Building Officials ■ Certified Plans Examiners ■ Certified Building Inspectors Additionally, the evaluators must have general knowledge of construction, professional experience and be able to make good judgment. The evaluators must be able to look at a damaged or potentially damaged system then based on their knowledge and experience, make a judgment on the ability of that system to withstand another event of equal magnitude. Adoption of Official Placards One of the functions of the ATC-20 publication was the development of placards that clearly identify the condition of buildings to owners and occupants. After the San Simeon Earthquake, our city building inspectors utilized placards to denote the condition of buildings here in San Luis Obispo. Unfortunately, our current supply of placards has not been officially adopted by ordinance. Technically, these unofficial placards represent only a recommendation from those who performed the evaluation. As a recommendation, the placards do not carry the weight of law and cannot be enforced. Adopting the placards by ordinance makes them official and enforceable. Ordinance 15.48 (Safety Assessment Placards) will enable the City to legally post damaged buildings for proper use and occupancy after an earthquake or other disaster occurs. Deputizing Resources There is one main reason why a jurisdiction must deputize the responding resources as Deputy Building Inspectors; only authorized representatives of a jurisdiction can post official jurisdiction placards. These placards must have been formally adopted by the City, carry the City of San Luis Obispo seal and the authorizing ordinance number in order to carry the weight of law. Mutual aid resources are not representatives of the City, consequently they cannot post official placards unless they are deputized. SAP Coordinator It is recommended that each agency should appoint a SAP Coordinator. The.Coordinator should attend training courses to become familiar with the SEMS process. Training is offered by State OES and includes detailed information regarding development and implementation of an operational plan. Responsibilities of the SAP Coordinator include: ■ Provide briefings, refresher training and assignments to SAP Evaluators. ■ Coordinate the deputizing of the responding SAP Evaluators. ■ Develop and implement an operational plan for the evaluation of damaged buildings. ■ Manage data entry, compilation and dissemination of data. 43 Council Agenda Report—Post-Disaster Safety Assessment Placards Page 4 ■ Manage requests for follow-up re-assessments and detailed evaluations. Conclusion In order to be consistent with the Standardized Emergency Management System (SEMS) the City should use the guidelines developed by ATC and OES. Utilizing SEMS and SAP guidelines will ensure that our City operates consistent with other jurisdictions and we will best utilize the responding resources in times of disaster. Additionally, adoption of Ordinance 15.48 is necessary so the City will have the legal right to restrict occupancy of structures after a major earthquake or other destructive event. CONCURRENCES Both the Fire and Police Departments have reviewed this report and concur with the recommendations. FISCAL VvIPACTS Cost of printing new placards will be approximately $ 1,000.00 dollars. There are funds currently available in the Building Division budget to cover this expense. ALTERNATIVE Take no action and continue to use the current placards that are available. This is not a recommended alternative because placement of the existing placards is merely a recommendation to building owners and tenants which may result in occupancy of buildings that are hazardous and could be pose a threat to life safety. ATTACHMENT Ordinance 15.48 (Safety Assessment Placards) Council Reading File 1. Procedures for Post-Earthquake Safety Evaluation of Buildings (ATC-20) 2. Post-Disaster Safety Assessment Program(SAP Guidelines) G:\CD-BLDG\Tgirvin\Safety Assessment Placards Ordl,Safety Assessment Placards Ordinance.doc Ordinance No. (2007 Series) Page 1 ORDINANCE NO. (2007 Series) AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY OF SAN LUIS OBISPO ADDING NEW CHAPTER 15.48 (SAFETY ASSESSMENT PLACARDS) TO CHAPTER 15 (BUILDINGS AND CONSTRUCTION) OF THE SAN LUIS OBISPO MUNICIPAL CODE, RELATING TO PLACARDS USED TO DENOTE CONDITIONS RELATED TO CONTINUED OCCUPANCY OF BUILDINGS. WHEREAS, San Luis Obispo city is prone to earthquakes and other natural disasters, WHEREAS,building damage is likely to occur during these disaster events, WHEREAS, post-disaster building damage assessments will be necessary to evaluate buildings and other infrastructure within the City of San Luis Obispo, WHEREAS, the City of San Luis Obispo desires to provide for certain levels of safety for building occupants and must be able to utilize placards to denote conditions of damaged buildings in order to prevent unsafe or improper occupancy of damaged structures, NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT ORDAINED by the Council of the City of San Luis Obispo as follows: SECTION 1: New Chapter 15.48 (Safety Assessment Placards) is added to Title 15 (Buildings and Construction) of the San Luis Obispo Municipal Code to read as follows: SECTION 15.48.010. Intent. This chapter establishes standard placards to be used to indicate the condition of a structure, following an earthquake or other destructive event, for continued occupancy. The chapter further authorizes the Chief Building Official and his or her authorized representatives to post the appropriate placard at each entry to a building or structure upon completion of a safety assessment. SECTION 15.48.020. Application of Provisions. The provisions of this chapter are applicable to all buildings and structures of all occupancies regulated by the City of San Luis Obispo. The council may extend the provisions as necessary. SECTION 15.48.030. Definitions. Safety Assessment is a visual, non-destructive examination of a building or structure for G:\CD-BLDG\Tgirvin\Safety Assessment Placards Ord\Ordinance 15.48.doc Ordinance No. (2007 Series) Page 2 the purpose of determining the condition for continued use. SECTION 15.48.040. Placards. (a) The following are verbal descriptions of the official jurisdiction placards to be used to designate the condition for occupancy of building or structures. (1) Inspected— Lawful Occupancy Permitted is to be posted on any building or structure wherein no apparent structural hazard has been found. This placard is not intended to mean that there is no damage to the building or structure. (2) Restricted Use is to be posted on each building or structure that has been damaged wherein the damage has resulted in some form of restriction to the continued occupancy. The individual who posts this placard will note in general terms the type of damage encountered and will clearly and concisely note the restriction on continued occupancy. (3) Unsafe — Do Not Enter or Occupy is to be posted on each building or structure that has been damaged such that continued occupancy poses a threat to life safety. Buildings or structures posted with this placard shall not be entered under any circumstances except as authorized in writing by the Chief Building Official or his or her authorized representative. Safety assessment teams shall be authorized to enter these buildings at any time. This placard is not to be used or considered as a demolition order. The individual who posts this placard will note in general terms the type of damage encountered. (b) The placard must display the ordinance number, name, address and phone number of the jurisdiction. (c) Once it has been attached to a building or structure, a placard is not to be removed, altered or covered until done so by an authorized representative of the Chief Building Official. Pursuant to section 1.12 of the San Luis Obispo Municipal Code, it shall be unlawful for any person, firm or corporation to alter, remove, cover or deface a placard unless authorized pursuant to this section. SECTION 2. A summary of this ordinance, together with the names of Council members voting for and against, shall be published at least five (5) days prior to its final passage, in The Tribune, a newspaper published and circulated in this City. This ordinance shall go into effect at the expiration of thirty (30) days after its final passage. INTRODUCED on the 9th day of January 2007, AND FINALLY ADOPTED by the.Council of the City of San Luis Obispo on the day of 2007, on the following roll call vote: G:\CD-BLDG\Tgirvin\Safery Assessment Placards Ord\Ordinance 15.48.doc 1 � V( Ordinance No. (2007 Series) Page 3 AYES: NOES: ABSENT: Mayor David F. Romero ATTEST: Audrey Hooper City Clerk APPROVED AS TO FORM: an P. Lowell City Attorney G:\CD-BLDG\Tgirvin\Safety Assessment Placards Ord\Ordinance 15.48.doc 1f •^) 1 r /