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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMINUTES - 05162000 - C117 C-117 THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS OF CONTRA COSTA COUNTY, CALIFORNIA Adopted this Order on May 16, 2000, by the following vote: AYES: SUPERVISORS GIOIA,UILKEMA, DeSAULNIER, CANCIAMILLA and GERBER NOES: NONE ABSENT: NONE ABSTAIN: NONE wwwwwwiinwww�aw.w�.rrmwwwr�wwwww�ww�ra.wwwwr.ri Re: Grand Jury Report No. 0001 On this date, the Board of Supervisors considered the consent item, Grand Jury Report No. 0001, "Fire Suppression at the Property and Evidence Storage Facility," which is located at 401. Escobar Street, Martinez. Supervisor Uilkema moved to accept the consent items on the agenda, and Supervisor Gioia seconded the motion. IT IS BY THE BOARD ORDERED that 0.117 is ACCEPTED, and REFERRED to the County Administrator. I hereby certify that this is a true and correct copy of an action taken and entered on the minutes of the Board of Supervisors on the date shown. Attested:May 16,200 Phil Batchelor,Clerk of the Board of Supervisors and County Administrator By: Depu ,C C.C.CAO Sheriff-Coroner RECEIVED 1 i MAY 0 4 2000 CLERK BOARD CSF SUPERVISORS A REPORT BY CONTRA THEE 1999-00 CONTRA.COSTA COUNTY GRAND JURY 725 Court Street Martinez, California 94553 Report No. 0001 FIRE SUPPRESSION AT THE PROPERTY AND EVIDENCE STORAGE FACILM 401 ESCOBAR STREET,MARTINEZ, CA APPROVED BY THE GRAND JURY: "y ""�' y Date: i CARL BURNS GRAND JURY FOREMAN ACCEPTED FOR FILING: '`-'�az E4- Date. l '�00C1 ' - WALTERD. ROGER.S JUDGE OF THE SUPERIOR COLTRT CONTRA COSTA COUNTY GRAND JURY REPORT NO. 0001 Fire Suppression at the Property and Evidence Storage Facility 441 Escobar Street,Martinez, CA BACKGROUND The Property and Evidence Storage Facility at 401 Escobar Street in Martinez(40 1) is a windowless building which contains property seized or recovered by the Sheriff's Department as well as evidence of crimes the Sheriffs Department has obtained as a result of investigations. The building contains an office and a large barn-like storage area. The storage area contains shelving and scaffolding. The scaffolding provides two levels for storage of property and evidence. Material is mostly stored in grocery-type paper bags. The facility is very densely utilized and is severely overcrowded: In addition to the building there is a small outdoor yard for large objects such as automobiles. The building also contains a walk-in freezer for storing items which may deteriorate at room temperature and a small room, with ventilation, for storing dangerous chemicals and ammunition. No large quantities of chemicals or ammunition are stored in this room, only samples. FINDINGS 1. There are three smoke detectors in the building, two on the ceiling of the main room, and one in the small room for storing chemicals and ammunition. These smoke detectors are powered by the building electrical service and have a battery backup system. 2. The smoke detectors have an annunciator in the office and also send a signal to an external monitoring facility. In the event a detector is actuated, it is noted by a person at the monitoring facility who is then required to contact the fire department. The external monitoring facility is staffed 24 hours per day, seven days per week. 3. There are a number of fire extinguishers within the facility, but the Sheriff's Department policy states they are only to be used for"small" fires considered easily suppressible without outside help. 4. Sheriff's Department policy states that if a fire is detected, 911 is to be called and the building evacuated. 5. A fire at this facility would be devastating to pending prosecutions. 6. The building met the fire codes at the time the Sheriff's Department took occupancy. CONCLUSIONS 1. The Sheriff's policies clearly are designed to protect facility personnel in the event of a fire. 2. The evidence stored in 401 is critical for criminal prosecution. Destruction of this evidence might force the District Attorney to drop criminal prosecutions, thus forcing the release of incarcerated suspects. Further,with evidence destroyed,pending appeals may be successful, forcing the release of convicted criminals. 3. The lack of automatic fire suppression equipment in 401, coupled with the Sheriff s policy on the use of the fire extinguishers and the flammable nature of the storage method(paper bags), increases the probability that a fire in the facility would rapidly expand long before the fire department arrived on the scene. 4. The Sheriffs duty is to collect and protect evidence of crimes so that prosecution can be successful in the courts. This requirement implies,therefore,that he should take reasonable steps to protect the evidence in his custody from fire loss. This is not being done. RECONE ENDATTON The 1999-2000 Contra Costa County Grand Jury recommends: 1. The Sheriff`immediately take steps to have an adequate automatic fire suppression system installed at 401 if this building is to continue to be used for evidence and property storage. COMMENTS If the status qua on this issue.continues and if a fire were to totally destroy 401, the Sheriff'would not be able to use, as an excuse, the statement that the building met the code when he took it over, nor would the General Services Department (GSD). The Grand Jury has been told that GSD is the custodian of all County buildings and acts as agent for the County in leasing buildings used by the County, and that the Sheriffs Office may not demand improvements or relocation to ether facilities. It is difficult for the Grand Jury to believe the Sheriff would accept anything that the GSD chose to offer if he felt it did not meet his needs. Why, then, does the Sheriff"accept the lack of automatic fire suppression equipment at 401? Certainly,if such a fire were to occur, the District Attorney, Board of Supervisors and the County citizens might find the Sheriff,and the GSD were both negligent for not having automatic fire suppression equipment installed at 401.