California DSA 810: Alternate Designs, Signatures, and Filing

The DSA 810 form is California’s Fire & Life Safety Site Conditions Submittal, filed with the Division of the State Architect at plan review by the project architect or engineer. It documents fire hydrant flow data, whether the site sits in a Cal-Fire designated fire hazard severity zone, and any alternate design means proposed where the project cannot meet standard California Fire Code requirements for emergency vehicle access, hydrant spacing, water supply, or fire department connections. It travels with the rest of the submittal package, not at project closeout.¹

When You Need to File DSA 810

The form is required for school construction projects submitted to DSA that involve building a new campus, constructing new buildings, adding onto existing buildings, or proposing alternate design means for fire department emergency vehicle access and fire suppression water supply.¹ The DSA 3 Project Submittal Checklist lists a completed DSA 810 as a required construction document “when required per the DSA 810 instructions,” and directs that it be incorporated on the fire access site plan with local fire authority sign-off for applicable projects.²

If the work is a minor interior alteration with no effect on fire access, hydrant placement, or water supply, the form likely does not apply. Confirm that with the relevant DSA regional office before leaving it out.

Where to Get the Current Form

DSA 810 is a free PDF on the Division of the State Architect’s forms page under the 800 series.³ The current version was revised on December 29, 2020, and can also be downloaded directly from the DSA document library.¹ Pull a fresh copy each time rather than reusing an older PDF from a past project.

Project Information and Baseline Fire Safety Items

The top of the form asks for the school district or owner’s full legal name, the project or school name, and the project address. These entries must match what appears on your DSA 1 application and the rest of the submittal; mismatches slow plan review.

Items 1 through 3 cover baseline fire safety conditions, and all responses should relate to the project scope of work only.¹

Item 1 — Fire hydrant flow test. Check yes or no for whether a hydrant flow test has been performed at the site within the past 12 months. If yes, include the test data with the submittal. If no, current fire flow data is still required and may come from either a computer model or an actual flow test.
Item 2 — Flow test included with submittal. Check yes or no for whether the water flow test information is included in the package.
Item 3 — Fire hazard severity zone. Check yes or no for whether the site sits within a Cal-Fire designated fire hazard severity zone. If yes, mark Moderate, High, Very High, or Wildland Interface Area (WIFA). Projects in a designated zone must meet California Building Code Chapter 7A.

The information for these items can be gathered by calling the local fire authority (LFA) and the water purveyor and by checking the fire hazard area maps on the Cal-Fire website.¹ The design professional is responsible for confirming the site’s zone status and compliance with California Code of Regulations Title 19 and Title 24 requirements for water supply and fire department emergency access.⁴

Alternate Design Means (Items 4–7)

Items 4 through 7 are completed only when the project cannot meet standard California Fire Code requirements and an alternate approach is being proposed. If the condition meets code, check the N/A box for that item.

Item 4 — Emergency vehicle access. The site does not provide access roadways with a 20-foot minimum clear width, 13-foot-6-inch vertical clearance, and the structural capacity for fire apparatus loads under CFC Section 503.
Item 5 — Hydrant number and spacing. The required fire hydrants are insufficient in number or spacing for fire suppression activities.
Item 6 — Water flow and pressure. Water supply from area hydrants is insufficient for fire suppression activities.
Item 7 — Fire department connections. The location of connections serving fire sprinkler or standpipe systems does not comply with CFC Section 912.

For each proposed alternate, the design professional must schedule an in-person meeting with the LFA for evaluation and acceptance.¹ The LFA then checks yes (accepted) or no (not accepted) for each item. The LFA may also check N/R (not reviewed) for any item, and anything marked N/R goes to DSA for review instead. Line up that LFA meeting early; waiting until the week before your submittal date compresses a step that is largely outside your control.

When any alternate is proposed, every section on both pages of the form must be completed, and the form should be imaged on the fire access site plan.¹

Required Signatures

Beyond the design professional’s own work preparing the form, DSA 810 can require up to two signatures when alternates are proposed.

School District Acknowledgment

When any alternate design means are proposed under items 4 through 7, the school district must sign the acknowledgment section. By signing, the district confirms it is aware of and accepts the proposed design as an alternative to California Building Code and California Fire Code minimum requirements for fire and life safety protection.¹ The block takes the signer’s name, title, signature, and date. Missing this signature when alternates are on the form will hold up the submittal.

Local Fire Authority Sign-Off

When the LFA reviews the proposed alternates, the Fire Chief, Fire Marshal, or other designated fire prevention officer signs the form and provides agency name, title, work phone, and work email.¹ The LFA review covers fire department access roads, fire lane markings, hydrant locations and distribution, water supply for fire flow, and fire sprinkler system connections.⁴

How to Submit It

DSA 810 is submitted as part of the overall project package when you file plans for DSA review. The DSA 3 Project Submittal Checklist lists it under Part 3, Construction Documents, and directs that it be incorporated on the fire access site plan.² You first register the project by emailing forms DSA 1, DSA 1-REG, and DSA 1-INC (if applicable) to the appropriate DSA regional office, then submit the complete project package on the registered submittal date.⁵

DSA uses a file-sharing platform called DSAbox for project collaboration, accessible by invitation only to DSA staff and authorized collaborators on specific projects.⁶ If you have DSAbox access, documents that would previously have been mailed can be uploaded there instead. If you are unsure whether to upload DSA 810 through DSAbox or include it with a physical plan submittal, ask your DSA regional office before your submittal date.

1
Division of the State Architect. Fire & Life Safety Site Conditions Submittal
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Division of the State Architect. Project Submittal Checklist
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Division of the State Architect. Forms
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Division of the State Architect. Fire and Life Safety Plan Review
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Division of the State Architect. Start Construction Project by Submitting Plans for Review
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Division of the State Architect. DSAbox File Sharing for School Construction Projects