REGISTER TODAY for BOMA San Francisco's 8th Annual Emergency Preparedness Seminar - October 18, 2016

REGISTER HERE (email johnb@boma.com if you have any issues with registration)

Are you prepared for a protest near or in the lobby of your building? Have you tested your emergency preparedness plans for all possible scenarios that may occur at your property? Do you know how public agencies will respond to an emergency if a tenant calls for help? What if there is an earthquake during the workday?

BOMA’s 8th Annual Emergency Preparedness Seminar has an all-new format for you and your entire team of building professionals to become better prepared for any emergency. Whether you are a building owner, property manager, engineer or part of a building’s security team, you’ll get information relative to your position and how you can better prepare for emergencies with the building staff.

BOMA San Francisco’s 8th Annual Emergency Preparedness Seminar

Ferry Building

Second Floor, Port Commission Hearing Room

Tuesday, October 18th

Networking: 8:00 a.m. to 8:30 a.m.

Program (with break): 8:30 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.

Superb Food/Coffee Provided by Avigilon

REGISTER HERE (email johnb@boma.com if you have any issues with registration)

Highlights include:

Attendees will hear from federal, state and local public sector agencies regarding what YOU need to know to protect the lives of those in your building and gain resources to help YOU and YOUR TEAM be better educated and prepared for emergencies. You’ll learn from representatives from the:

• BART Police Department
• California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services (CalOES)
• Department of Homeland Security
• Federal Reserve Bank Police
• Port of San Francisco, Homeland Security
• San Francisco Department of Emergency Management
• San Francisco Fire Department
• San Francisco Police Department

Those who attend will also learn about the importance of business continuity preparedness for not only the building staff, but for your tenants. You’ll hear from representatives from the:

• California Resiliency Alliance
• Pacific Gas & Electric Company
• Red Cross of the Bay Area
• Salesforce 

Event participants will also learn how to be prepared from Directors of Security at BOMA member high-rise buildings including:

• 101 California
• 345 California Center
• Embarcadero Center
• The Ferry Building
• The Landmark at One Market
• Salesforce Tower West (50 Fremont) 

The preparedness field is not immune from tech disruption and we’ll have a section of seminar dedicated to how the latest technology will help YOU save lives, time and money: 

• The Knightscope autonomous robot – a demonstration of the unit will occur at the event;
• Hear from a start-up that provides security guards, on-demand;
• Another start-up will demonstrate how to turn ANY device with a camera into an intelligent monitoring system;
• Learn more about the benefits of satellite phone systems. 

REGISTER HERE (email johnb@boma.com if you have any issues with registration)

The program is presented as part of BOMA's Emergency Preparedness Committee’s commitment to educate members on the best emergency preparedness strategies and will show how to strengthen your entire building teams' response to a critical incident.

The BOMA San Francisco Emergency Preparedness Committee's 2016 Annual Emergency Preparedness Seminar is generously sponsored by (in alphabetical order) – please click on their logos to visit each sponsor’s website:

UPDATE: All-Gender/Single User Toilet Facilities

UPDATE - August 31, 2016

This law passed recently and it applies to single-user toilet facilities in business establishments and places of public accommodation in San Francisco.

A few key things to know:

• The measure requires that all single-user toilet facilities that are open to the public, and/or to the employees of the establishment, shall be identified as all-gender facilities and shall be made available to persons of any gender identity. 

• Single-user toilet facility means a private toilet facility with a single toilet, or with a single toilet and a urinal and designed for use by no more than one occupant at a time, or for family or assisted use. 

• Multiple-user toilet facilities may be identified as all-gender facilities, but are not required to be identified as all-gender.

• Signage identifying single-user toilet facilities as all-gender must comply with either Title 24 of the California Code of Regulations or the Federal Americans with Disabilities Act.

• Businesses and places of public accommodation were supposed to be in compliance with this ordinance by August 20th, 2016.

• The San Francisco Department of Building Inspection will be checking for compliance with during regular building inspections.

If you have any questions please email johnb@boma.com.

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Original Post - January 16, 2016

Supervisor David Campos has requested BOMA San Francisco and business community feedback regarding a proposal to expand the number of all gender (unisex) single occupancy restrooms in San Francisco. This is at trend taking place nationwide in order to increase bathroom accessibility for all. Indeed, similar ordinances have already been passed in municipalities across the United States.

Summary

This legislation would mandate that businesses and places of public accommodation (click here and scroll to #7) designate via signage single-user toilet facilities that are available to the public or employees.

Some BOMA members would be required to update their signage if they have places of public accommodation that only have single user toilet facilities.

Click here to review the legislation and email johnb@boma.com with your comments.

IMPORTANT! San Francisco Commercial Water Conservation Ordinance Deadline for Compliance on January 1, 2017

UPDATE - August 31, 2016

Please be aware that state and local measures require all building owners in San Francisco replace old, water-wasting plumbing fixtures and repair leaks. Commercial properties have until January 1, 2017 to comply. 

By that date, building owners must submit a Commercial Conservation Affidavit to the San Francisco Department of Building Inspection (DBI), verifying that all fixtures currently installed at time of their self-inspection are water efficient and code-compliant. Commercial property owners must replace any existing fixtures that exceed the following maximum water use rates:

• Showerheads must not exceed a maximum flow rate of 2.5 gallons per minute (gpm)
• Faucets and faucet aerators must not exceed a maximum flow rate of 2.2 gpm
• Toilets must not exceed a maximum flow rate of 1.6 gallons per flush (gpf)
• Urinals must not exceed a maximum flow rate of 1.0 gpf

For more information on how to comply with San Francisco’s Commercial Conservation Ordinance, visit www.sfwater.org/commercialconservation or www.sfdbi.org/commercialconservation or call DBI’s Plumbing Inspection Division at (415) 558-6058.

The San Francisco Public Utilities Commission (SFPUC) continues to help properties save water through fixture rebates for the replacement of non-compliant toilets and urinals (program ends December 31, 2016); free water-efficient showerheads and aerators and standard toilet leak repair parts; free Water-Wise Evaluations; and other assistance. Visit www.sfwater.org/conservation or call (415) 551-4730 for more information about the SFPUC’s conservation services.

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Original Post - August 5, 2014

Working with BOMA San Francisco, the City of San Francisco enacted a Commercial Water Conservation Ordinance in 2009 that requires all commercial property owners to provide certain water conservation measures for their buildings by January 1, 2017. The intent of this law is protect natural resources, address increasing demand for water, and cut greenhouse gas emissions through reduced water use. The required improvements also will reduce water and sewer costs for commercial properties.

It is advantageous for all commercial property owners to comply with the requirements now. Even though the  statutory deadline is in 2017, the savings in water and sewer costs typically pay for themselves within one to three years.  The following information is a summary of the requirements found in Chapter 13A of the San Francisco Building Code (SFBC).

Who Must Comply?

On or before January 1, 2017, all owners of:

• Commercial buildings;
• Any portion of a residential building, which is used for commercial purposes;
• Any portion of a residential building converted to a tourist hotel;
• Any portion of a residential building which is occupied as a hotel or motel unit and which has a certificate of use for tourist occupancy;
• Any building or portion thereof which is a live/work occupancy
• Mobile homes.

Owner’s compliance is also required when one of the following situations occurs:

• Building Additions
• If a building addition will increase the floor area of the building by more than 10 percent, the entire building must comply as a condition for issuance of a Certificate of Final Completion and Occupancy.
• Building Alterations and Improvements
• If the cost estimated in a building permit for an alternation or improvement is greater than $150,000, compliance is required in all facilities that serve the specific area of alteration or improvement and is a condition for issuance of a Certificate of Final Completion and Occupancy or final permit sign off.
• Alternations or Improvements to Rooms with Water Conservation Devices
• If an alteration or improvement of any cost is located in a room that contains a faucet, shower, water closet (toilet), or urinal, compliance is required in that room as a condition for issuance of a Certificate of Final Completion and Occupancy or final permit sign off.

Please click here for more information about what the law requires.  If you have any questions, please call SFDBI's Plumbing Inspection Division at (415) 558-6570.

For more information on financing options, efficient toilet and urinal rebates, and free water-efficient device which can help achieve compliance with the water conservation ordinance, please contact the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission at (415) 551-4730 or click here.