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Officials: building owners must perform required tests; kitchen-fire calls may reflect alarm reporting, not more severe incidents
Summary
City staff said building owners are responsible for testing required fire-life-safety systems and submitting reports; the department's role is outreach and enforcement. Staff also said an apparent rise in kitchen-fire calls may reflect more multifamily alarms and reporting, prompting targeted outreach.
During the performance discussion, city staff clarified that many apparent shortfalls stem from building owners not completing or filing required tests. A staff member told the committee, "It's actually the responsibility of the building owners to perform the test and then submit a report to fire that says we've completed it this year." The city's role, staff said, is to track, notify and follow up with owners who fail to comply. Council member Percy requested that future reports separate owner-completed testing from city-managed follow-up so the council can see which portion of performance is within staff control.
Council member Kritzer asked about a rise in cooking-fire reports. Staff said the increase may be driven by multifamily alarm systems that trigger dispatch for contained kitchen incidents, not necessarily an increase in fires that cause injuries or large property loss. The department has done outreach in high-incidence multifamily communities to reduce unnecessary responses when fires are contained. Staff emphasized that sprinklers and alarms remain lifesaving even when they produce water-related damage to units.
