Greetings from Director Hui Greetings

 109 years ago, San Francisco was struck with one of the worst natural disasters known to our City's history. The Great Earthquake of 1906 and the fires that ensued afterwards destroyed 80% of the city.


 

Today, San Francisco is booming, inventive and thriving. The anniversary of the 1906 Earthquake next month celebrates our city's resilience and strength, but also serves as a reminder of the importance of being prepared for the next emergency, either through property improvements or by preparing kits and an emergency plan. DBI is committed to ensuring building seismic safety throughout the City with our many programs that include the Un-reinforce Masonry, Private School Seismic Evaluation and the Mandatory Soft Story Retrofit program. 


 

While Hollywood may portray natural disasters such as earthquakes with over-the-top special effects, the after effects of these natural disasters are felt in real life. The 6.0 magnitude Napa earthquake of 2014, the largest since the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake, was a wake up call to make emergency preparedness a priority. Taking the necessary steps to prepare you, your family, and your property for an earthquake may significantly lessen the damage. There are multiple resources available through our City agency and community partners' websites. Visit here for more information. 


 

Take the necessary steps today to get your property and family ready for the next emergency. We cannot predict the next natural disaster, but together we can take the next steps in being prepared.

Take the Next Steps to Seismically Retrofit Your PropertySoftStory
the chances of a magnitude 8.0 earthquake affecting California in the next 30 years has increased. To date, property owners notified under DBI's Mandatory Soft Program have achieved a 99% response rate in taking the first step to seismically retrofit their residential properties. The next step for Tier One property owners is to move forward in the next phase of compliance by submitting their permit application and retrofit plans to DBI by September 2015. We encourage homeowners to seek out engineers and contractors for assistance in this phase. For more information on program timelines, submittal steps and helpful resources, view www.sfdbi.org/softstory.

Impending Seismic Legislation Allowing Additions of UnitsNewLegislation 

On March 17, Supervisor Scott Weiner's legislation that would allow the construction of in-law units in properties undergoing seismic upgrades where there is sufficient space within the existing building envelope to add such units was approved by the Board of Supervisors. This legislation will potentially add new affordable units to the housing stock.This is an excellent opportunity for property owners who are planning to and/or going through the Mandatory Soft Story Retrofit program to also build in-law units in their buildings, assuming the building envelope is large enough to house the additional unit(s). This legislation is expected to go to the Mayor by March 20, and may take legal effect by April 20th.

Online PermitsOnlinePermits

Did you know you can apply for Electrical, Plumbing and Mechanical, and Boiler permits online? With our easy Instant Online Permit system, you can save time and avoid lines by printing permits from your home or office. Registration for Online Permits is required, but once you are setup, your permits are just a few clicks away. View our requirements to obtain permits and setup your account today! Read More

Chinatown New Year's Community Street FairChinatown
Happy Year of the Ram! We had a great time sharing building safety tips and prizes at the Chinatown Street Fair earlier this month. Please see our calendar for events and meetings. Read More
 

 

In This Issue
Codes CornerCodes

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We look forward to hearing from you!

 

Thank you, 

DBI Communications Team

 

 

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