Fire Prevention: Secondary Access

Secondary Access, Emergency Secondary Access, Secondary Access for the Fire Hazardous Fire Area

All projects will be individually evaluated for the need of Secondary Roadway Access (public or private). Should it be determined by the Fire department that Secondary Access is required, the following guidelines and specifications shall be applicable for compliance with such requirements. These Specifications are not applicable where Fire Department Ladder Truck Access is required. Note that the specifications contained in this Standard apply only to properties located within the service area of the Santa Clara County Fire Department.

Emergency Secondary Accessway: An approved Secondary Access Roadway for the exclusive use of Fire Department Apparatus.

Dead End: A roadway with only one primary entrance and exit.

Hazardous Fire Area: Lands within an officially designated Hazardous Fire Area as defined under the Fire Code and Municipal Ordinance.

Roadway: A vehicular access roadway greater than or equal to 20 feet in width.

Secondary Access: A roadway access point to a public or private way remotely located from the primary access point which provides access to a parcel of land.

Turn Around: A roadway area designed and designated for the purposes of providing a driving area to turn around fire department vehicles.

Secondary access shall be provided for all projects that meet the following criteria:

Secondary access will be provided by utilization of connected roadways with a minimum unobstructed width of 20 feet. Such roadways shall conform to Fire Department Standard and Details and Specification A-1 ACCESS ROADWAYS. Connections shall be made to private or public ways along a path of travel approved by the Fire Department.

Location of Access Points (Separation):

Primary and Emergency Secondary Access points shall be remotely located from each other as approved by the Fire Department.

The Fire Department is authorized to accept the use of emergency accesses for the purpose of eliminating dead end roadways (public and private). Acceptance of an emergency accessway will be considered only after it has been demonstrated that a through road connection is not reasonably practical.

A written request must be made to the Fire Department for use of Emergency Secondary Access. The request letter must clearly state the justification and reason for the request.

Fire Department approval of use of Emergency Secondary Access may require additional fire protection as specified in the Fire Code or as directed by the Fire Department.

If approved for use, the design of the emergency secondary accesses shall conform to Fire Department Standard and Details and Specification A-1 ACCESS ROADWAYS and the specifications listed below.

Land Ownership:

Only lands held in common or publicly owned may be used for emergency accesses. Emergency Secondary Access shall not be provided as easements through private property unless specifically approved by the Fire Department.

Location of Points of Access (Separation):

Primary and Emergency Secondary Access points shall be remotely located from each other as approved by the Fire Department.

Required Turn-Around Areas:

Dead end streets terminating at the emergency accesses shall be provided with an approved Fire Department turn around area. See Fire Department Standards, Details and Specifications A-1.

Required Width:

The width of the emergency accesses shall be 12 feet with an approved all weather driving surface.

Surface:

Any approved surface that is designed to support the weight of a vehicle of up to 40,000 gross vehicle weight. This may include asphalt, concrete, grass-crete, paving blocks, etc. All designs shall be engineered and approved by the Fire Department.

Turning Radius:

Minimum 36 feet outside and 23 feet inside

Slope:

Maximum slope shall be 15%

Vertical Clearance:

Minimum vertical clearance shall be 13 feet 6 inches

Maintenance:

Maintenance of emergency accesses on commonly held lands shall be clearly stated in the Covenant, Conditions, and Restrictions (CC&R) or Landscape Maintenance agreements of the development project. The CC&Rs shall mandate that the owners association shall retain professional management to oversee maintenance responsibilities.

Easements:

All emergency accesses shall be recorded as Emergency Vehicle Ingress Egress Easements (E.V.I.E.E) granted to the Fire Department.

Marking and Identification:

Approved signs or other approved notices shall be provided and maintained for emergency accesses to identify such and to prohibit the obstruction thereof. Markings shall be in accordance with Fire Department Standards, Details and Specifications A-6: FIRE LANE MARKING

Closure of Emergency Secondary Roadways:

Gates or other closure methods shall be in accordance with Fire Department Standards, Details and Specifications G-6: CLOSURE OF PRIVATE ROADWAYS, DRIVEWAYS AND FIRE APPARATUS ACCESS ROADWAYS.

Where required by the Fire Department, parcels and/or subdivisions within the Hazardous Fire Area shall be provided two means of access. The requirements previously stated in the document shall serve as a guideline for the construction and design of such access.

If required, the design of the accesses shall conform to Fire Department Standard and Details and Specification A-1 ACCESS ROADWAYS and the specifications listed in the requirements for Secondary Accesses.

For accesses serving two or less single family dwellings the design of the accessway shall conform to Fire Department Standard and Details and Specification D-1 Driveways Serving Two or less Single Family Dwellings and the specifications listed in the requirements for Secondary Accesses.

The Fire Department is authorized to accept the use of emergency secondary accesses. Acceptance of an emergency accessway will be considered only after it has been demonstrated that a through road connection is not reasonably practical.

A written request must be made to the Fire Department for use of Emergency Secondary Access. The request letter must clearly state the justification and reason for the request.

If approved for use, the design of the emergency secondary accesses shall conform to Fire Department Standard and Details and Specification A-1 ACCESS ROADWAYS and the specifications listed in the requirements for Secondary Accesses.

For accesses serving two or less single family dwellings, the design of the accessway shall conform to Fire Department Standard and Details and Specification D-1 Driveways Serving Two or less Single Family Dwellings and the specifications listed in the requirements for Secondary Accesses.

SD&SA-4/DJM/970611 (web)