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12/06/2010 <br />as automatic fire sprinklers, may also have a positive effect. In dry climate on <br />low humidity days, many materials are much more easily ignited. More fires are <br />likely to occur and any fire, once started, can expand extremely rapidly. <br />Automatic fire sprinkler systems can arrest a fire starting within a structure before <br />it could spread to adjacent brush and structures. <br />The aforementioned problems support the imposition of fire - protection and <br />life- safety requirements greater than those set forth in the 2010 Edition of the <br />California Fire Code. <br />Finding 4: The City of Redwood City experiences water shortages from <br />time to time. Those shortages can have a severe adverse effect on water <br />availability for firefighting. <br />Fires starting in sprinklered buildings are typically controlled by one or two <br />sprinkler heads, flowing as little as 13 gallons per minute each. <br />Hose streams used by engine companies on well - established structure <br />fires operate at about 250 gallons per minute each. The estimated water need <br />for a typical residential fire is 1250 to 1500 gallons per minute and upwards to <br />3500 gallons per minute for commercial buildings, according to the Insurance <br />Services Office. <br />Under circumstances such as earthquakes, when multiple fires can start <br />within the city, the limited water demands of residential fire sprinklers would <br />control and extinguish many fires before they spread from building to building. In <br />such a disaster, water demands needed for conflagration firefighting probably <br />would not be available. <br />The aforementioned problems support the imposition of fire - protection and <br />life- safety requirements greater than those set forth in the 2010 Edition of the <br />California Fire Code. <br />Finding 5: The topography of the City of Redwood City presents <br />problems in delivery of emergency services, including fire protection. Hilly <br />terrain, winding roads with little circulation, preventing rapid access and orderly <br />evacuation. Much of these hills are covered with nonfire- resistive natural <br />vegetation. In addition, to access and evacuation problems, the terrain makes <br />delivery of water extremely difficult. Much of the hill areas are served by water <br />pump systems subject to failure in fire, high winds, earthquakes and other power <br />failure situations. <br />The aforementioned problems support the imposition of fire protection and <br />life- safety requirements greater than those set forth in the 2010 Edition of the <br />California Fire Code. <br />5 Fire Suppression Rating Manual Insurance Services Offices, New Jersey: 2003. <br />ATTY /RESO /RESO.2066 7 #15070 <br />111510 MUFF # 305 <br />