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SAWHORSE
LBUSD Fire Safety Code Violations Extensive
http://www.longbeachcomber.com/story.aspx?artID=3021
by Kirt Ramirez
LBFD Fire Marshall Reeb Abruptly Quits
His name is John Briscoe.
The 59-year-old Orange County elected school board trustee has a history of going after fire departments – to make them thoroughly inspect schools to ensure minimum safety code requirements.
California State Fire Code mandates the local fire authority to inspect each public school site for fire health safety at least once per year – something not known by many – except Briscoe.
Briscoe noticed some fire departments weren’t doing a full, detailed job of inspecting schools, therefore violating the law. The Huntington Beach Fire Department was one of them until Briscoe got involved. Now they are doing a good job, he said.
A Huntington Beach resident, Briscoe is recognized by some for being bright, energized and for not backing down. Some have called him a gadfly and a nuisance. But others support his inves-tigative work – which includes numerous government public records requests.
After winning various battles in the OC – including a lawsuit against his city for cutting off his microphone – Briscoe began looking at Long Beach. His mother, his business and his rental in-vestments are in Long Beach. He grew up in Long Beach and the city has been close to his heart over the years.
Briscoe started placing public records requests in 2010 for Long Beach Fire Department school inspection reports – since the local fire authority is responsible for inspections. He was stunned to see the small amount of paperwork disclosed for several years. He concluded LBFD was not doing its job as required by state law.
Briscoe arranged to meet with Fire Marshal Jeff Reeb to discuss the alleged lack of work. Apparently there was tension between the two from that point on.
In a letter to Briscoe, Reeb said LBFD is only responsible for reviewing fire extinguishers and fire hydrants. The department does not maintain occupant loads for school locker rooms/changing rooms.
Reeb also wrote the department is not responsible for public school fire health safety inspections.
Briscoe retorted, “These assertions by the LBFD are wrong and place children at risk in the fifth largest city in the state. Apparently the public schools in Long Beach have never been inspected to CA State DSA (Division of the State Architect) standards.”
Briscoe shot off email after email to Reeb demanding that he do his job and cc’d many of them to City Manager Pat West, several local media outlets and other powerful parties. He also testi-fied before the Long Beach City Council.
Briscoe filed a formal complaint with the California State Fire Marshal last year to report that LBFD was failing to perform duties. After the dereliction complaint, things began to change.
Suddenly LBFD began thoroughly checking out the schools.
Now the Long Beach Unified School District has been hit with countless violations in the past few months which could cost the cash-strapped district millions of dollars in repairs for their de-ferred maintenance. Briscoe provided the Beachcomber with his recently-received stack of inspection reports, dated Jan. 6, 2012, for each school – altogether measuring about two-inches thick.
Violations for elementary, middle and high schools are numerous and range from having more than 20 percent artwork on the walls to holes in the ceilings; exposed electrical wires to lack of exit signs and occupant load signs. The violations go on and on. Renaissance High School for the Arts appears to be the worst in terms of violations.
“Now LBFD is doing catch-up and make-up,” Briscoe said. “There will be added countless hours of LBFD inspection work to make sure the school sites comply with the tens of thousands of violations found.
“They will have to go back again and again and again to check and see if LBUSD has done its duty to follow code and law to keep the kids safe,” he said.
“It is the right thing to do, it is the law; children are now more safe than ever in Long Beach.”
Reeb retired on Feb. 25, 2012. Briscoe was shocked to hear of the news. He said Reeb only looks about 42-years-old, but must be at least 50 to retire in the fire position he was in.
Fire Assistant Chief Mike Duree took over.
“Schools in Long Beach are inspected annually. In previous years, we have used both fire prevention inspectors and operational companies to handle school inspections. In an effort to maintain better records of school inspections, the responsibility was shifted entirely to fire prevention staff this year to handle these inspections,” Duree said.
Reeb did not respond to the Beachcomber’s request for comment and Duree could not discuss Reeb’s retirement.
LBUSD spokesman Chris Eftychiou said, “The school district is subject to annual inspections by the fire department, after which we conduct any routine maintenance and improvements deemed necessary. This is an ongoing process, and we will continue to work closely with the fire department to make sure our facilities are safe.”
“The whipping boy in this is the LBUSD administration for failure to give due diligence to child safety and their facility management. Shame on them,” Briscoe said.
LBUSD is facing a $189 million budget shortfall in two years if a November tax initiative fails or $20 million shortfall if it passes – based on its current $700 million budget.
About Reeb, Briscoe said: “It takes a lot to pry somebody like Chief Reeb outta his cushy and (formerly) secure desk job administering one of the larger fire departments in the state. He’s been pried, fried and tried in the public arena and now he’s gone; Elvis has left the building.”
kirt@longbeachcomber.com
http://www.longbeachcomber.com/story.aspx?artID=3021
by Kirt Ramirez
LBFD Fire Marshall Reeb Abruptly Quits
His name is John Briscoe.
The 59-year-old Orange County elected school board trustee has a history of going after fire departments – to make them thoroughly inspect schools to ensure minimum safety code requirements.
California State Fire Code mandates the local fire authority to inspect each public school site for fire health safety at least once per year – something not known by many – except Briscoe.
Briscoe noticed some fire departments weren’t doing a full, detailed job of inspecting schools, therefore violating the law. The Huntington Beach Fire Department was one of them until Briscoe got involved. Now they are doing a good job, he said.
A Huntington Beach resident, Briscoe is recognized by some for being bright, energized and for not backing down. Some have called him a gadfly and a nuisance. But others support his inves-tigative work – which includes numerous government public records requests.
After winning various battles in the OC – including a lawsuit against his city for cutting off his microphone – Briscoe began looking at Long Beach. His mother, his business and his rental in-vestments are in Long Beach. He grew up in Long Beach and the city has been close to his heart over the years.
Briscoe started placing public records requests in 2010 for Long Beach Fire Department school inspection reports – since the local fire authority is responsible for inspections. He was stunned to see the small amount of paperwork disclosed for several years. He concluded LBFD was not doing its job as required by state law.
Briscoe arranged to meet with Fire Marshal Jeff Reeb to discuss the alleged lack of work. Apparently there was tension between the two from that point on.
In a letter to Briscoe, Reeb said LBFD is only responsible for reviewing fire extinguishers and fire hydrants. The department does not maintain occupant loads for school locker rooms/changing rooms.
Reeb also wrote the department is not responsible for public school fire health safety inspections.
Briscoe retorted, “These assertions by the LBFD are wrong and place children at risk in the fifth largest city in the state. Apparently the public schools in Long Beach have never been inspected to CA State DSA (Division of the State Architect) standards.”
Briscoe shot off email after email to Reeb demanding that he do his job and cc’d many of them to City Manager Pat West, several local media outlets and other powerful parties. He also testi-fied before the Long Beach City Council.
Briscoe filed a formal complaint with the California State Fire Marshal last year to report that LBFD was failing to perform duties. After the dereliction complaint, things began to change.
Suddenly LBFD began thoroughly checking out the schools.
Now the Long Beach Unified School District has been hit with countless violations in the past few months which could cost the cash-strapped district millions of dollars in repairs for their de-ferred maintenance. Briscoe provided the Beachcomber with his recently-received stack of inspection reports, dated Jan. 6, 2012, for each school – altogether measuring about two-inches thick.
Violations for elementary, middle and high schools are numerous and range from having more than 20 percent artwork on the walls to holes in the ceilings; exposed electrical wires to lack of exit signs and occupant load signs. The violations go on and on. Renaissance High School for the Arts appears to be the worst in terms of violations.
“Now LBFD is doing catch-up and make-up,” Briscoe said. “There will be added countless hours of LBFD inspection work to make sure the school sites comply with the tens of thousands of violations found.
“They will have to go back again and again and again to check and see if LBUSD has done its duty to follow code and law to keep the kids safe,” he said.
“It is the right thing to do, it is the law; children are now more safe than ever in Long Beach.”
Reeb retired on Feb. 25, 2012. Briscoe was shocked to hear of the news. He said Reeb only looks about 42-years-old, but must be at least 50 to retire in the fire position he was in.
Fire Assistant Chief Mike Duree took over.
“Schools in Long Beach are inspected annually. In previous years, we have used both fire prevention inspectors and operational companies to handle school inspections. In an effort to maintain better records of school inspections, the responsibility was shifted entirely to fire prevention staff this year to handle these inspections,” Duree said.
Reeb did not respond to the Beachcomber’s request for comment and Duree could not discuss Reeb’s retirement.
LBUSD spokesman Chris Eftychiou said, “The school district is subject to annual inspections by the fire department, after which we conduct any routine maintenance and improvements deemed necessary. This is an ongoing process, and we will continue to work closely with the fire department to make sure our facilities are safe.”
“The whipping boy in this is the LBUSD administration for failure to give due diligence to child safety and their facility management. Shame on them,” Briscoe said.
LBUSD is facing a $189 million budget shortfall in two years if a November tax initiative fails or $20 million shortfall if it passes – based on its current $700 million budget.
About Reeb, Briscoe said: “It takes a lot to pry somebody like Chief Reeb outta his cushy and (formerly) secure desk job administering one of the larger fire departments in the state. He’s been pried, fried and tried in the public arena and now he’s gone; Elvis has left the building.”
kirt@longbeachcomber.com