Rules for special event safety

Emergency vehicle access

Maintain a minimum 14-foot wide emergency access lane running the full length of the event.

• Recommended Placement: Center of the road, not on the side. People can be in the emergency lane during the event, just not objects like tents, or tables/chairs.
• All intersections must remain clear of any objects to allow for emergency vehicle movement.

Placement restrictions

Maintain clear zones of at least 5 feet of any fire hydrant, fire alarm box, or police call box. Don’t put anything within 10 feet of any fire escape and stand pipe inlet, measuring horizontally.

Don’t have anything in any intersection or pedestrian crosswalk, including any vehicles.  Curb ramps must remain clear and accessible.

Pedestrian safety

Keep sidewalks open even when a street is closed to vehicles.

Sidewalks must always remain accessible for pedestrians.

Barricades are required to safely close streets for a special event. Include barricade placement in your permit site plan.

Learn more about how to set up barricades at your event.

Security

All event organizers should consider who to keep the event and attendees safe. Events with over 500 attendees must submit a formal security plan.

Learn more about event security.

Tents, canopies, and food booths

Material

These must be made out of flame-resistant material or treated with a flame retardant.

Include proof of fire resistance or flame retardance in your fire permit application.

Keep the documentation on-site at the event.

Placement

Keep a minimum of 2 exits for each 10-199 people.

The exits need to comply with the Fire Code (2022 CFC Chapter 31).

Set up cooking tents at least 20 feet from any other tents/structures.

Fire extinguishers

You must have fire extinguishers.

Every extinguisher needs a current California State Fire Marshal (SFM) service tab.

The requirement is based on the size of your tent/structures:

• 200-500 sq.ft.: 1 extinguisher minimum
• 501-1,000 sq.ft.: 2 extinguisher minimum
• An additional extinguisher for every additional 2,000 sq.ft. or fraction thereof.

Additional safety requirements

Smoking is prohibited in tents or canopies.

Post conspicuous NO SMOKING signs.

For additional requirements on the installation and use of tents and canopies see the Fire Department’s Administrative Bulletin 2.13.

Cooking or food warming

1. You can’t cook within a tent, canopies, or food booth that is accessible to the public.
2. Vendors cooking with flammable gas and/or solid fuel BBQ grills must use a vendor space of at least 200 sq. ft. This also applies to vendors using deep fat fryers.
   1. The space must include a 10' x 10' cooking area.
   2. This cooking area needs to be located at the rear of the 10' x 10' area.
3. Keep at least 10 feet between cooking equipment and any exits, exit pathways, and combustibles.
4. You can’t have flammable-liquid-fueled equipment located or used inside tents, canopies, or food booths.
5. Flammable gas-burning and solid fuel-burning equipment designed to be vented must be vented to the outside air as specified in the California Mechanical Code.
   1. Where vents or flues are used, all portions of the tent or canopy must be at least 12 inches from the vent or flue.
6. You can’t use a grill or cooking appliances with perforated or grid design cooking surfaces which allow the food to come in direct contact with the flame inside tents, canopies, or food booths.
   1. Exception: unless protected by a Type I hood with a fire suppression system
7. Have 1 fire extinguisher for each cooking and warming area.
   1. It must be visible and accessible
   2. 2-A:10-B:C (minimum size) portable fire extinguisher
   3. Must have current California State Fire Marshal (SFM) service tag
8. Warming food using griddles, sterno, or butane may be allowed within a food booth
   1. The heat-producing device must be on a non-combustible surface.
   2. It must be at least 18 inches from all portions of the booth envelope and all combustible materials.
   3. Sterno and butane must be used according to the manufacturer's instructions.
   4. Warming food that produces grease laden vapors is strictly prohibited unless it is under an approved hood and ansul system.

Deep fat frying or open flame cooking

1. You can’t deep fat cook inside tents, canopies, or food booths unless you use a Type I hood with a fire suppression system.
2. Keep deep fat cooking at least 20 feet from a tent or canopy, and 10 feet separation from food booths and cooking tents.
3. Have 1 fire extinguisher for every 4 80-lb capacity friers
   1. Must be visible and accessible
   2. 1.5 gallon (minimum size) Class K portable fire extinguisher
   3. Must have current California State Fire Marshal (SFM) service tag
4. Keep open flame cooking devices and barbecues at least 20 feet from tents or canopies and 5 feet from food booths and cooking tents.
5. Barbecue units must be constantly attended while in use or until cool.
6. Have a metal container with a metal lid to put burning, glowing, or smoldering charcoal briquettes or wood chips.
   1. Keep it at least 2 feet from combustible materials.

Flammable gas

1. We have strict limits on the number of gas storage cylinders we allow on-site. They are based on the size of the food booth and adjoining cooking areas. For example:
   1. 10x10 tent with a 10x10 cooking area at the rear of the booth:
      1. Up to 20 gallons of propane
      2. Keep no more than 4 5-gallon cylinders on site.
      3. If you want to use larger cylinders, write a letter addressed to the Fire Marshal to request approval.
   2. 10x20 tent with a 10x20 cooking area at the rear of the booth:
      1. Up to 40 gallons of propane
      2. Keep no more than 6 5-gallon cylinders on site.
      3. If you want to use larger cylinders, write a letter addressed to the Fire Marshal to request approval.
2. You can only use D.O.T.-approved portable LP-gas, propane, natural gas, and butane cylinders. Cylinders must be in good condition, properly labeled, and without dents or corrosion.
3. Keep flammable gas cylinders stored outside of tents, canopies, and food booths.
   1. Unless listed to be installed as a component of the appliance (e.g. cassette feu), keep the gas cylinders at least 5 feet from cooking and heating appliances.
4. Keep gas cylinders out of reach of the public and at least 10 feet from all structures, exits, and exit pathways.
5. Keep compressed gas cylinders secured in the upright position and prevented from falling, tipping, and tampering.
6. Flammable-gas-fueled appliances must be equipped with a shut-off valve located on the storage cylinder and a shut-off valve located on the appliance.
7. An Underwriters Laboratories (UL)-approved pressure regulator must be installed on the fuel supply hose between the storage cylinder and the appliance. The regulator must be installed as close as possible to the storage cylinder.
8. Cooking and heating appliances, hoses, and connectors need to be approved for use with its type of fuel source.
   1. Hose must be continuously marked with “LP-GAS, PROPANE, 350 PSI WORKING PRESSURE” and the manufacturer’s name or trademark.
   2. Appliance handles, knobs, and control valves need to be in good working condition.
   3. Remove faulty cooking appliances, hoses, valves, and connectors immediately.
9. Perform a leak test on all pressurized flammable gas connections before use after each changing of cylinders.
   1. To perform leak tests, each vendor using pressurized flammable gas must have a spray bottle filled with a soapy solution.
10. Shut down appliances and fuel supply whenever you smell LP gas, natural gas, or butane gas. Inspect the appliances and fuel supply to find source of the leak. If you can find it, call 911 and request assistance from the Fire Department.
11. Don’t keep any spare propane cylinders on-site, unless specifically approved.

Portable generators

You will need an additional, separate permit to use a portable generator with a gasoline fuel capacity of more than 10 gallons or a diesel fuel capacity of more than 60 gallons.

1. Keep portable generators at least 20 feet from tents or canopies.
   1. Keep them isolated from contact with the public by fencing, enclosure, or other approved means.
   2. Exception: Portable generators with a gasoline fuel capacity of 10 gallons or less or a diesel fuel capacity of 60 gallons or less may be located a minimum of 10 feet from food booths, exits and exit pathways. They must still be kept away from public areas.
2. Have 1 fire extinguisher for each generator
   1. It must be visible and accessible
   2. 2-A:10-20B:C (minimum size) portable fire extinguisher
   3. Have current California State Fire Marshal service tag
3. Don’t refuel generators during the public hours of the event.
   1. Don’t refuel generators when the engine is running or hot
   2. Refuel at least 20 feet from tents, canopies, and booths.
4. No spare fuel allowed on site

Flame effect performance

Safe distance

Establish and enforce a safe distance between spectators, performers, staff, and operators. This is a minimum of 15 feet.

• Consider other factors that could impact safety and the safe distance you should establish:
  • Experience and qualifications of the operations and staff
  • Visual conditions
  • Magnitude of the potential hazard
  • Whether the flame effect is static (stationary) or dynamic (mobile) during the performance
• You need to justify your safe distance in your flame effect plan. The Fire Department may require a Fire Protection Engineer to review your plan. If that happens, we’ll charge you an additional hourly fee for the engineer’s plan check services.
• You may be required to hire a 3rd party to test and document the following:
  • An audience should not be close enough, where heat from an effect could raise the surface temperature of their exposed skin above 111°F (44°C).
  • Temperatures of combustible materials subject to the heat of the flame effect must not exceed 117 degrees Fahrenheit (47.20 C) above the ambient temperature after equilibrium temperatures is attained.

Mechanical ride requirements

• Current inspection sticker from Cal OSHA
• Barricaded from the public
• Have 1 fire extinguisher at each ride location
  • A:10-20B:C (minimum size) portable fire extinguisher
  • Have current California State Fire Marshal service tag
• If on building or open floor: have an Engineering letter (for example, a Ferris wheel on parking garage)

Sprinklers

For indoor events:

• Sprinkler system must have had service in past 5 years
• Sprinkler system must be currently charged
• Sprinkler heads not obstructed by anything larger than 4 ft in any direction
• Nothing within 18 inches of the ceiling, with sprinkler system
  • If no sprinkler, nothing within 24 inches of the ceiling
• Nothing attached to sprinkler pipe or system
• No blocking fire alarm stations and strobes
• Fire alarm system must have been serviced within the past 12 months
• Fire alarm set to normal mode

Indoor seating

• For more than 200 chairs, they need to be bound in groups of 3.