Fire Prevention Division - City of El Cerrito

Fire Department

Fire Prevention Division

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Fire Safety Inspection Program

New Building Construction

Public Education

Weed Abatement Program includes Fire Prevention Tips

Preventing Clothes Dryer Fires

Contact the Fire Prevention Division

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Fire Prevention - 2008 Highlights

2008 has been a very busy and successful year for the Fire Department's Fire Prevention Division. The major programs the Fire Prevention Division is involved with include:

Mercantile Fire Safety Inspections

New Building Construction

Public Education

Weed Abatement Program

These four programs keep the Prevention Division extremely busy throughout the year and provide us with our greatest challenges and rewards.

Fire Safety Inspection Program:

El Cerrito has nearly 500 businesses that are inspected annually by on duty engine companies. There are typically five types of inspections our engine companies conduct. They are: General Fire Safety Inspections, Fire Sprinkler Inspections, Fire Alarm Inspections, Hazardous Occupancy Inspections and Commercial Cooking Fire Suppression (Hood & Duct) Inspections. Many of the businesses that are inspected by engine companies receive multiple inspections concurrently i.e. Fire Safety Inspection, Fire Sprinkler Inspection and some require all five inspection types to be conducted. Of these 500 businesses, we had a 96% completion rate. The businesses that do not comply are forwarded to the Fire Prevention Officer to ensure Fire Code compliance is met. The result of El Cerrito's comprehensive Fire Safety Inspection Program is one of the lowest fire losses in commercial occupancies in the state.

Note to Kensington Business Owners: Read more about the Kensington Fire Protection District's Business Self-Inspection Program

New Building Construction

New building construction includes plan review, on site inspections and final inspections. In 2008 we completed 83 plan reviews and more than 100 construction site inspections. Construction site inspections conducted by the Fire Prevention Division mainly focus on Life Safety Systems. The majority of these site inspections include fire sprinkler, fire alarm system installation and acceptance, water supply and hydrant spacing, commercial cooking facility fire suppression systems and emergency exiting and lighting.

Public Education

Public Education is an evolving program that has greatly expanded with the incorporation of the Fire Safety Trailer. This year we have conducted fire safety education programs for more than 1000 people of all ages. We have achieved this by being extremely active in seeking opportunities to educate the public in fire safety. We do this by offering fire station tours, going to public and private schools and other public events, Tri City Safety Day, Fourth of July and Halloween. The Fire Safety Trailer has been used at several City sponsored events as well as business sponsored events and draws large numbers of participants. In addition, we have conducted more than ten CPR/First Aid classes for the public that has drawn more than 100 students. The Citizens of El Cerrito are excited and eager to seize every opportunity to learn about fire safety.

Check the City's online calendar for upcoming safety classes and events.

Weed Abatement Program

Our Weed Abatement Program remains our most challenging Program and consumes hundreds of man hours. The program consists of inspecting every property within El Cerrito and Kensington, identifying fire hazards and having those fire hazards removed or brought to acceptable levels. After every property is inspected, a letter of non-compliance is sent to the property owner. In 2008 we sent out 131 notices of non-compliance and had 100% of the properties brought into voluntary compliance. This was achieved through the hard diligent work of the Fire Prevention Division personnel, making hundreds of phone calls, numerous site visits, educating property owners of the risk and standards they were to maintain.

Read about how to create and maintain a defensible space around your home, including plant recommendations.

Preventing Clothes Dryer Fires

Clothes dryer fires in the home are far more common than you may think. For many households, the clothes dryer is an indispensable convenience and even considered a neces�sity. However, if clothes dryers are not properly installed or maintained, critical fires can occur. Using the latest 3 years of data, from 2002 to 2004, the yearly national fire loss for clothes dryer fires in structures is estimated at $99 million. Yearly, Fire Departments across the county respond to approximately 15,600 clothes dryer fires. Unfortunately, 15 people die a year from these fires and an additional 400 people are injured. The majority of these fires are caused from lack of maintenance. There are a few things that need to be done on a regular basis to help prevent clothes dryer fires in your home.

Inspection Frequency
Most vents need cleaning every two to three years. Some dryer vents need attention more often. If it is the first time that a dryer vent has been cleaned, having it re-checked again in a year can help to make a reasonable judgment. Determining factors include:

How much the dryer is used.

How long the vent is and the materials used. Shorter vents usually blow better.

The age and type of dryer used. Full size dryers blow better than smaller stack dryers or older dryers.

The design of the vent. Those with a lot of turns and elbows blow worse and build up more lint.

Clean the lint filter regularly and make sure the dryer is operating properly. Clean the filter after each load of clothes.

While the dryer is operating, check the outside exhaust to make sure exhaust air is escaping normally. If it is not, look inside both ends of the duct and remove any lint. If there are signs that the dryer is hotter than normal, this may be a sign that the dryer's temperature control thermostat needs servicing.

Check the exhaust duct more often if you have a plastic, flexible duct. This type of duct is more apt to trap lint than ducting without ridges.

Closely follow manufacturers' instructions for new installations. Most manufacturers that get their clothes dryers approved by Underwriters Laboratories specify the use of metal exhaust ducts. If metal ducts are not available at the retailer where the dryer was purchased, check other locations, such as hardware or building supply stores. If you are having the dryer installed, insist upon metal duct unless the installer has verified that the manufacturer permits the use of a plastic duct.

Warning Signs
There are a few common warning signs that you should be aware of that indicate a potential problem is developing in your clothes dryer.

especially towels and jeans.

Clothes are damp or hotter than usual at the end of the cycle.

Outdoor flapper on vent hood doesn't open when dryer is on.

Other Dangers

With gas dryers, there is also concern of carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning. Since lint and flue gases use the same avenue of exit from the house, a blocked vent can cause CO fumes to back up into the house. These fumes are colorless, odorless and tasteless, and can be fatal. Low-level CO poisoning mimics flu symptoms (without the fever); headache, weakness, nausea, disorientation and deep fatigue. At higher levels, occupants can fall asleep, lapse into a coma and die.
By completing these simple maintenance practices, you can prevent the significant losses created from clothes dryer fires.

Contact the Fire Prevention Division

To reach the Fire Prevention Division, call (510) 215-4450 during business hours or email Fire Department Secretary Linda White at lwhite@ci.el-cerrito.ca.us