BOMB Scene...
Drill & Seminar Explore Ways to Be Prepared
Fall 2015
On an early Sunday morning in September, a group of BOMA Emergency Preparedness Committee members and volunteers convened at San Francisco’s Ferry Building for a joint training exercise with the San Francisco police and fire departments. THE SIMULATED EMERGENCY: A scene similar to the Boston Marathon bombing on the back dock of the Ferry Building, where the busy Farmers’ Market takes place. A bomb had detonated and there was speculation that another bomb was in the area. Triage was needed for victims of the explosion, while the second bomb needed to be located. The drill took months to plan, said Jackson Talbot, Director of Security at the Pyramid Center and former Chair of the BOMA San Francisco Emergency Preparedness Committee. “We had a tabletop and discussed what we would want to know in a situation like this.” (Continued on page 12)
Building Codes: Keeping Your Building Compliant Commercial property managers must be aware of a dizzying array of city, state and federal regulations to do their jobs effectively. That’s why BOMA San Francisco informs members at our Annual Building Codes seminar. “This is an opportunity for members to meet and interact with city officials from the building and fire departments and to hear from design and construction professionals about changes to codes and the permitting process and the most effective ways to comply,” says BOMA San Francisco Vice President, Public Policy, Ken Cleaveland. At the recent seminar topics ranged from disability access to Title 24 energy concerns to rooftop regulations and sprinkler retrofitting.
Permitting Developments to Watch A panel discussion on commercial permitting, led by Skip Soskin, senior associate and LEED AP, Huntsman Architectural Group, highlighted some of uniquenesses of doing business in the City that out-of-town architects sometimes overlook. When applying for permits through the Department of Building Inspection (DBI), disability and green checklists are required. Any change of use must go through the planning department, as do any projects that are below the fourth floor and visible from the street. It’s important to know if your building is fully sprinkled, and the fire department requires an exiting plan. A path of travel to elevators, garage and other areas must be accessible. Projects in historic buildings, those more than 50 years old, must be presented to the preservation planning desk. Soskin recommended that your architect be present at the plan check, in case any changes to the drawings are needed. Also, when drawings are approved, only the design professional and owner can pick them up. Tenants cannot. (Continued on page 10)