The Petaluma Fire Department has personnel trained in fire investigation by the State Fire Marshal's Office. All fires are investigated for cause and origin. If you have suffered a fire loss and would like a copy of the fire investigation report for records or insurance purposes, please call 707.778.4389 or e-mail the Fire Marshal's Office at firemarshal@ci.petaluma.ca.us. There is a $15.00 fee for each copy of the report.

As of July 1, 2000, all new construction in Petaluma, both residential and commercial, has required installation of an approved fire sprinkler system. If you have a question as to what is required, please contact the Fire Marshal's Office at 707.778.4389.

Residential Fire Sprinkler System Information

Congratulations!

As owner of a residential fire sprinkler system your dwelling is protected 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 12 months a year from the threat of fire and its terrible consequences. Each sprinkler head of your "Life Safety System" acts as a Firefighter! As with any mechanical system, however, periodic maintenance is necessary to insure proper performance. The purpose of this owner's manual is to provide you, the owner, with guidelines for inspections and some additional background information as well.

Residential Fire Sprinklers are designed to:

• Activate at 160^o F.
• Discharge water only from the head that is activated.
• Apply water at a rate of 13 to 18 gallons per minute during the initial stages of fire.
• Provide early fire warning (augments, but does not replace smoke detectors).
• Allow you to escape from the fire.

Identify the System Components (and their locations)

• Shut-Off
  The main water meter shutoff outside of your house is the only valve that will shut off water to your sprinkler system. The sprinkler system cannot be shut off independently of the house service.
• Riser
  Should be labeled as such. Commonly found in the garage. However, it may be located in utility closets or wall cabinets or on the side of home.
• Gauge
  Found with the Riser. It records the static pressure of the system.
• Inspector Test Valve
  Located at the most remote wall (the part of the house that is furthest from the Riser) and should be labeled. It looks like a hose faucet without a handle.
• Bell(s)
  In a visible location at the front or rear of structure. May be more than one. It should be audible from all sleeping areas.
• Interior Alarm Device (optional)
  Typically found in the hall way.

Recommended Practices

• Contact your monitoring company if your system is monitored.
• Test your system monthly: Open the Inspector test valve and listen for the bell, then turn off the valve.
• Know your sprinkler system shut off valve location and communicate this to all occupants of your home.
• Any extensions for alterations to your sprinkler system must be approved by the Fire Department.
• Contact the Fire Department if and when any activation of your sprinkler system occurs (except when testing the system).
• Do not do anything to your sprinkler system that would hinder its performance, such as painting or hanging objects from the sprinkler head.
• Do not turn off the sprinkler system in the event of a fire - let the Fire Department perform this task.

Did You Know?

1. Sprinklers rarely leak. They are tested at 175 psi for 24 hours. Standard plumbing is only tested at 60 psi.
2. Only the sprinkler head that is affected by the fire will activate.
3. Sprinkler heads are activated by heat only. Smoke without heat will not cause a sprinkler to activate.
4. Sprinklers cause less damage than the fire itself. A sprinkler will control a fire in its early stages and will use considerably less water than the Fire Department would.
5. Sprinklers have been in use since the late eighteen hundreds to protect lives and property. They are a proven technology.

Hazard Abatement: Thanks to those Petaluma residents for their hard work abating properties where a fire hazard exists. Living in this area you may have, at one time or another, seen the effects of grassland fires and know the importance of this program. Grass or brush fires can and do consume large amounts of fire resources, which otherwise might be needed for other emergencies. Your Fire Department's Weed Abatement Program has been developed to minimize the impact on residents and Fire Department resources as reasonably as possible and still preserve the natural beauty found in the Petaluma Valley. The program calls for properties of less than one acre to be completely abated of all weeds and brush, with trees pruned away from structures and fireplace outlets. Properties greater than one acre require 30-foot firebreaks along the perimeter of property lines and clearances of 100 feet around structures.

These are the minimum established requirements intended to be maintained throughout the fire season, anticipated to last through October. Properties located along ridgelines or along slopes may pose significant risks and typically necessitate more work. Firebreaks are intended to limit the fire's rate of spread and minimize heat accumulation at the tops of hills near structures, which buys time for fire crews to respond and set up a fire attack. If the abatement work is insufficient or none has been done, the fire spreads faster than fire crews can be deployed.

Critical problems occur in hilly areas where fire burning up hill preheats grasses and brush ahead of the flame front to a point where grasses and brush burst into flame at an ever-increasing rate. Only you, the property owner, are in the position of helping yourself by installing firebreaks before fires occur.

If you have a weed abatement complaint, call 707.778.4389 or e-mail us at firemarshal@ci.petaluma.ca.us.

Fire Department plans checks need to be submitted to the Fire Marshal's office located at City Hall in the Plans Department and are required for all of the following:

• Fire Alarm Systems, Detectors
• Fire Alarm Repair or Modification
• Fire Protection Systems: Sprinklers and Extinguishing Systems
• Underground Fire Main Service

Public education is an important to the City of Petaluma Fire Department. All Petaluma City Firefighters work with our community to educate the public. We strive to inform everyone about the hazards of fire and how to prevent injuries. Once each year, the engine companies visit third grade classes in Petaluma. There they teach the importance of fire safety and prevention. We also hand out information at public events regarding fire escape drills, fire safety within the home and fire safety for the elderly, among others.