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Fire Marshal outlines ADU safety equivalencies to speed approvals while protecting residents and firefighters
Summary
Fire Marshal Dean Gocio told the San Francisco Fire Commission that the department and Building Inspection have developed a joint flowchart and equivalency options (sprinklers, one-hour passageways, monitored fire alarms) to allow ground-floor accessory dwelling units (ADUs) to meet safety objectives without needlessly blocking housing conversions; 61 applications are currently in the Fire "bin."
Fire Marshal Dean Gocio told the San Francisco Fire Commission on Aug. 8 that the Fire Department is working with the Department of Building Inspection to create a clear, shared review process for accessory dwelling units (ADUs) that balances the citys housing goals with occupant and firefighter safety.
"The intent and one of the main goals of the city is to increase the number of affordable housing units," Gocio said, explaining that many ground-floor garage-to-unit conversions present challenges under current code, particularly the requirement for two exits on a level. The department has proposed equivalencies that it says preserve or improve safety: fully sprinkling ground-floor…
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