HomeMy WebLinkAbout402.020 - Dangerous Building PlacardingEffective Date: June 2025 Justin H. Beal, Fire Prevention Engineer
Current Revision Date: 6/6/2025 Section 402.020
Next Revision Date: 6/6/2028 Page 1 of 4
Fresno City Fire Department
400 Prevention Manual
SECTION 402.020 DANGEROUS BUILDING PLACARDING
PURPOSE
The purpose of this policy is to clarify the Fresno Fire Department’s (FFD or
Department) requirements related to the placarding of buildings subject to the
“Dangerous Building Ordinance” (DBO) within the City of Fresno (COF) and contract
service areas.
APPLICATION
This policy applies to all buildings located within the COF or contract service areas
that are subject to the DBO.
OPERATIONAL POLICY
Based upon the need for uniformity in application across the Department’s diverse
service delivery area, and the need to ensure that dangerous buildings are marked in
a uniform manner, the Department has determined that the following DBO marking
procedures for all buildings subject to the DBO shall be followed:
1. Prior to placarding a dangerous building, the building owner/permit applicant
shall obtain a permit from the Department.
2. Upon issuance of a permit, the applicant shall obtain DBO placards which
conform to the following requirements:
I. The placard shall be a minimum of 24” x 24”, constructed of at least
0.80" thick aluminum or 20 ga. steel.
II. The sign background shall be red, (3M product code color 3932) Type
IV - High Intensity Prismatic (HIP) sheeting which meets the
requirements of ASTM D4956-09 Type IV.
III. The sign graphic features shall be white, 2” wide, Type IV - High Intensity
Prismatic (HIP) sheeting which meets the requirements of ASTM D4956-
09 Type IV. The sign graphics shall create a square border on the
outside edge of the placard and shall create an “X” pattern. An example
of the required placard is noted below:
Effective Date: June 2025 Justin H. Beal, Fire Prevention Engineer
Current Revision Date: 6/6/2025 Section 402.020
Next Revision Date: 6/6/2028 Page 2 of 4
IV. The placard shall include a minimum, one (1) millimeter thick, clear
protective overlay film which also meets ASTM D4956 requirements.
NOTE:
Most commercially available placards do not meet the above noted reflectivity
requirements. No permit final will be granted without placards that meet the
above noted reflectivity requirements. No exceptions.
3. One placard shall be installed on the front of the building and be readily visible
from the street that the building is addressed to.
4. Additional placards shall be applied to the side of each building which has
building access to the building, and on penthouses (where present).
5. Additional placards may be required at additional locations per the Fire Marshal
(or designee).
6. Every placard shall be installed with the bottom edge of the placard at a height
of at least six feet (6’) from the finished grade of the building.
7. Every placard shall be installed using a permanent, durable, and positive
means of attachment to the building.
8. At least one placard shall bear the date of its installation, and the date of the
most recent inspection in an FFD approved manner.
OPERATIONAL GUIDELINE
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PROCESS
Effective Date: June 2025 Justin H. Beal, Fire Prevention Engineer
Current Revision Date: 6/6/2025 Section 402.020
Next Revision Date: 6/6/2028 Page 3 of 4
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INFORMATION
Property owners, permit applicants, and their agents, etc. are responsible for
maintaining all required signage, as well as for securing vacant, abandoned or other
buildings subject to the DBO, against entry by unauthorized persons per the California
Fire Code (CFC).
Vacant, abandoned and other buildings subject to the DBO are often of questionable
structural integrity and have a very high probability of intentionally set fires. When
fires occur in these buildings, they present a host of unusual hazards to firefighters.
For example, since the buildings are generally uninhabited, fires may develop for
significant periods of time before they are detected and reported.
In order to improve firefighter safety when responding to incidents in buildings that are
subject to the DBO, have structural safety issues, etc. and may be declared to be
unsafe due to being vacant or abandoned, this policy establishes an information
placarding system that will assist incident commanders in making personnel and
equipment deployment decisions.
Prominent positioning of placards where they can be readily seen by first-in fire
companies or other emergency responders will assist in the initial incident size-up
and resource assignments.
In order to be truly effective in conveying the critical information about a building’s
status, placards must be fabricated so as to be in bold contrast to their mounting
surface. The required reflectivity will enhance placard visibility under low ambient
light conditions where flashlights, spotlights or emergency vehicle warning lights may
be the only light-emitting source.
Including the date of placard posting and the most recent inspection information on
at least one placard will assist the incident commander in verifying the validity and
currency of the building’s status.
The placard symbol required by this policy is intended to provide clear information
regarding the level of hazard facing personnel when conducting rescue and fire-
fighting operations as of the inspection date on the placard. Upon consideration of
the degree of hazards, incident commanders may restrict operations to strictly
defensive or cautiously offensive.
DEFINITIONS
Effective Date: June 2025 Justin H. Beal, Fire Prevention Engineer
Current Revision Date: 6/6/2025 Section 402.020
Next Revision Date: 6/6/2028 Page 4 of 4
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CROSS-REFERENCES
California Fire Code, Currently adopted edition