Redwood City Ends Fire Safety Pilot Program

REDWOOD CITY, CA — Redwood City ended its fire safety program after the city council voted unanimously to repeal a five-year pilot program during its meeting Monday.

The council followed staff’s recommendation to end the Fire Safety First Pilot Program, which called for instituting more stringent requirements for sprinkler systems beyond national standards for multi-unit residential apartment buildings of four or more units that were built before 1989.

The program was adopted in 2015 after a number of apartment fires in the city.

Staff recommended that the pilot program end because of displacement of residents from retrofit requirements, financial hardships and exacerbated compliance oversight.

Redwood City also has existing requirements in its municipal code for the installation of automatic fire sprinkler systems, according to a news release.

The Redwood City Fire Department plans to engage with the public on any potential changes to the code ahead of the next cycle beginning in the summer of 2022.