Briefs

California names top fire officials SACRAMENTO, Calif. - Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has named Dale Geldert director of the department of forestry and fire protection and Ruben Grijalva state fire marshal. The California Senate must confirm the two men before their appointments become official. Upon confirmation, Geldert ends his tenure in Oceanside where he served as fire chief and deputy city manager from 1992 to 2002. Grijalva leaves the Palo Alto Fire Department where he has been fire chief since 1994. Previously, he served as assistant fire chief from 1990. Sonora raises false alarm fees SONORA, Calif. - With an ordinance that became effective July 1, the Sonora Fire Department raised the fees it charges for false fire alarms. The fire department first introduced the penalties in 1999, according to Fire Chief Mike Barrows, with the intent to recover costs and deter non-emergency alarms. The department continues not to charge any fees for the first three violations. For the fourth offense, the rate has increased to $92 from $80, the fifth offense is $115 from $100 and the sixth offense and each additional offense is $172 from $150. “It actually works” to charge alarm users for system malfunctions, according to Barrows. Alarm owners will fix their systems rather than incur additional penalties, he said. Schaumburg requires high-rise sprinklers SCHAUMBURG, Ill. - The Village Board of Schaumburg has revised a municipal ordinance that requires the city’s high-rise buildings to be outfitted with sprinkler systems. Six buildings in the area, of which four are commercial, are affected by this code change. The buildings must be in compliance of the new code within 10 years. Building owners have eight years to complete 80 percent of the required work. The remaining work must be finished within two years of that milestone.