This chapter regulates
Fire Department access, fire hydrants, and fire-flow. Fire
hydrant and fire-flow requirements are based upon land
use. Also included are minimum requirements for supplemental
fire protection based on Fire Department response
time capabilities, personnel, apparatus availability and
fire-flow.
If any portion of the first story exterior
walls of any building structure is more than 150 feet
(45 720 mm) from the edge of the roadway of an approved
street, an approved fire lane shall be provided so that such
portion is within 150 feet (45 720 mm) of the edge of the
fire lane.
Exception: An entrance to any dwelling unit or guest
room shall not be more than 150 feet (45 720 mm) in
distance of horizontal travel from the edge of roadway
of an improved street or approved fire lane.
When required access is provided
by an improved street, fire lane or combination of
both which results in a dead-end in excess of 700 feet (213
m) in length from the nearest cross street, at least one additional
ingress-egress roadway shall be provided in such a
manner that an alternative means of ingress-egress is
accomplished.
Where fire lanes are required under
Section 503.1.4 to provide access for Fire Department
emergency vehicles, and such fire lanes are other than
access roads, they shall be granted to the City without cost
as easements from a public street or alley to the required
terminal point. Provided, however, that the easement
requirement may be waived, unless otherwise required by
the general plan of the City of Los Angeles, where the
Department determines that the acquisition of an easement
is not necessary for the protection of the public safety and
welfare. Fire lanes shall be designated and maintained as
follows:
- Fire lanes shall have a minimum clear roadway width of 20 feet (6096 mm) when no parking is allowed on either side.
- Those portions of a fire lane which must accommodate the operation of Fire Department aerial ladder apparatus shall have a minimum clear roadway width of 28 feet (8534 mm) when no parking is allowed on either side.
- Those portions of a fire lane 30 feet (9144 mm) on either side of a private fire hydrant shall have a minimum clear roadway width of 28 feet (8534 mm). No parking shall be permitted within those portions of the roadway which are within 30 feet (9144 mm) of and on the same side of the roadway as a private fire hydrant.
- Where parking is allowed on only one side of a required fire lane, parking shall be on the same side of the roadway as the hydrants.
- Where parallel parking is allowed on either side of a fire lane, the roadway width shall be increased 8 feet (238 mm) for each parking lane.
- Where access requires accommodation of Fire Department apparatus, overhead clearance shall not be less than 14 feet (4267 mm).
- Deadend fire lanes shall terminate in cul-de-sacs or other approved turning areas consistent with the Department of Public Works Standard Street Dimension Plan D-22549.
- Fire lanes shall be paved to the city engineer's standards for public alleys.
Any person owning or
having control of any facility, structure, group of structures
or premises shall maintain all fire lanes in an unobstructed
manner.
Exception: Gates and gate devices approved by the
Department.
No
person shall install or maintain a radio or television aerial,
or the guy wires thereto, on any fire road or firebreak.
Antenna wire shall be not less than 16 feet (4877 mm)
above a fire road or firebreak.
The fire code official is authorized to require the installation and maintenance of gates or other approved barricades across fire apparatus access roads, trails or other accessways, not including public streets, alleys or highways. Electric gate operators, where provided, shall be listed in accordance with UL 325. Gates intended for automatic operation shall be designed, constructed and installed to comply with the requirements of ASTM F2200.
Where required, gates and barricades shall be secured in an approved manner. Roads, trails and other accessways that have been closed and obstructed in the manner prescribed by Section 503.5 shall not be trespassed on or used unless authorized by the owner and the fire code official.
Exception: The restriction on use shall not apply to public officers acting within the scope of duty.
School grounds may be fenced and gates therein may be equipped with locks, provided that safe dispersal areas based on 3 square feet (0.28 m2) per occupant are located between the school and the fence. Such required safe dispersal areas shall not be located less than 50 feet (15 240 mm) from school buildings.
Every public and private school shall conform with Section 32020 of the Education Code which states:
The governing board of every public school district, and the governing authority of every private school, which maintains any building used for the instruction or housing of school pupils on land entirely enclosed (except for building walls) by fences of walls, shall, through cooperation with the local law enforcement and fire-protection agencies having jurisdiction of the area, make provision for the erection of gates in such fences or walls. The gates shall be of sufficient size to permit the entrance of the ambulances, police equipment and fire-fighting apparatus used by the law enforcement and fire-protection agencies. There shall be no less than one such access gate and there shall be as many such gates as needed to assure access to all major buildings and ground areas. If such gates are to be equipped with locks, the locking devices shall be designed to permit ready entrance by the use of the chain or bolt-cutting devices with which the local law enforcement and fire-protection agencies may be equipped.
No person, except when authorized by the Chief, or an
officer or employee of the City acting within the scope of
his or her public duties, shall unlock, or tamper with, or
cause to be unlocked or tampered with in any manner, any
lock, gate, door, seal, barrier, or enclosure which is
installed by or under control of the Fire Department of the
City of Los Angeles.
Additional requirements of address size shall
be as follows:
- The height in inches of any number or letter therein shall be the sum of one-tenth (1/10) of the distance in feet of the number from the boundary of the property (upon which the building, structure, or parking lot is situated) abutting the street, plus two (2), providing that every number shall not be less than 4 inches (100 mm) in height.
- The overall width of any figure in or comprising the number or letter shall be one-half (1/2) of its height. The width of any portion of a figure in or comprising the number or letter shall be one-tenth (1/10) of its height.
Design (including shape and style) as well
as location of the street address numbers shall be such that
they are legible and easily readable. Irrespective of whether
the street address number was established before or after June
1, 1973, the Chief shall have the authority to prescribe a street
address number larger in size than the dimensions stated in
Section 505.1.1 when it is determined that due to lighting
conditions, building location, shadows, background, or other
reasons, street address numbers of minimum dimensions will
not be easily readable from the street or approach to the
entrance. A street address number of unusual design or placement
may not be employed without prior written approval of
the Chief.
Fire-flows shall comply
with Table 507.3.1 for any structures, group of structures
or facilities by the type of land development, or as otherwise
determined by the Chief.
- Where street alignments mandate the installation of dead-end mains, the fire-flow in gallons per minute may be adjusted downward, depending on the type of land development.
- A minimum residual water pressure of 20 pounds per square inch (137.9 kPa) is to remain in the system with the required gallons per minute flowing.
| TYPE OF LAND DEVELOPMENT | FIRE-FLOW IN GALLONS PER MINUTE |
| Low density Residential | 2,000 gpm from three adjacent fire hydrants flowing simultaneously. |
| High density Residential and Neighborhood Commercial |
4,000 gpm from four adjacent fire hydrants flowing simultaneously. |
| Industrial and Commercial | 6,000 to 9,000 gpm from four to six fire hydrants flowing simultaneously. |
| High density Industrial and Commercial (Principal business districts or Centers) |
12,000 gpm available to any block (where local conditions indicate that consideration must be given to simultaneous fires, and additional 2,000 to 8,000 gpm will be required). |
Fire hydrant spacing and
type of hydrant, by type of land development. See Table
507.3.2.
- Every first story dwelling unit, first story guest room, and all first story portions of any commercial or industrial building must be within 300 feet (91 440 mm) of an approved fire hydrant.
- All fire hydrants shall have 2 1/2 inch by 4-inch (64 mm by100 mm) outlets or 4-inch by 4-inch (100 mm by 100 mm) outlets and conform to the minimum standards of the American Water Works Association for wet barrel hydrants. A minimum of one fire hydrant is to be provided at each intersection. "Built-up" type single 2 1/2-inch (64 mm) outlet hydrants [6-inch (1524 mm) pipe surmounted by an angle valve] shall be used in areas having a static water pressure of 210 psi or more.
- Streets with raised median center dividers, excessive traffic loads, or more than 80 feet (24 m) in dedicated width require the installation of hydrants on both sides of the street. Additional intermediate hydrants are required in areas where restricted access, depth of lots, or blocks exceeding the maximum hydrant spacing intervals exist.
| TYPE OF LAND DEVELOPMENT |
NET LAND AREA SERVED PER HYDRANT (sq. ft.) |
DISTANCE BETWEEN HYDRANTS ON ROADS AND FIRE LANES (ft.) |
TYPE OF HYDRANT |
| Low density Residential |
150,000 | 600 | 2 1/2" × 4" Double fire hydrant |
| High density Residential and Neighborhood Commercial |
100,000 | 300—450 | 2 1/2" × 4" Double fire hydrant |
| Industrial and Commercial |
80,000a | 300 | 2 1/2" × 4" Double Fire Hydrant or 4" x 4" Double Fire Hydrant |
| High density Industrial and Commercial |
40,000 | 300 | 4" × 4" Double Fire Hydrant |
- This figure will be systematically reduced where greater fire-flow is required due to restricted access, depth of lots, length of blocks or additional hazards.
Land use and required fire flow. See
Table 507.3.3.
| LAND USEa | REQUIRED FIRE FLOW (gpm) |
MAXIMUM RESPONSE DISTANCEb |
|
| ENGINE CO. | TRUCK CO. | ||
| Low density Residential |
2,000 gpm from three adjacent fire hydrants flowing simultaneously. |
1 1/2 miles | 2 mile |
| High density Residential and Neighborhood Commercial |
4,000 gpm from four adjacent fire hydrants flowing simultaneously. |
1 1/2 miles | 2 mile |
| Industrial and Commercial |
6,000 to 9,000 from four to six fire hydrants flowing simultaneously. |
1 mile | 1 1/2 miles |
| High density Industrial and Commercial (Principal business districts or Centers) |
12,000 available to any block (where local conditions indicate that consideration must be given to simultaneous fires, additional 2,000 to 8,000 will be required). |
3/4 mile | 1 mile |
- Land use designations are contained in the community plan elements of the General Plan for the City of Los Angeles.
- The maximum response distances for both LAFD fire suppression companies (engine and truck) must be satisfied.