San Luis Rey sprinklers extension will return to CHRB July 21

The San Luis Rey Training Center is in the process of installing fire sprinklers in the facility's older barns. The Stronach Group, which owns San Luis Rey, is seeking an extension of the California Horse Racing Board deadline to complete the automatic sprinkler systems and automatic fire alarm systems.

The extension request was on the agenda of the June 16 CHRB meeting, and the CHRB voted 7-0 not to grant that extension.

"They weren't satisfied with management's explanation that the COVID situation had delayed installation," said CHRB spokesman Mike Marten. "The decision was to deny the request; that's the first thing they did."

Without the extension, San Luis Rey has until July 31 to bring the barns into compliance, so the item will return at the July 21 CHRB meeting.

"If we do move forward at that time we want extensive progress reports," Marten said.

California Horse Racing Board Rule 1927 requires an auxiliary training facility to have a written clearance from the fire authority with jurisdiction which states that an inspection has been made of the site and that the facilities conform with a reasonable standard of fire safety.

The CHRB definition of "reasonable standard of fire safety" includes that facilities used to stable horses or to house humans are equipped with an automatic sprinkler system and an automatic fire alarm system and that a watchman patrol the facilities during hours of darkness.

CHRB Rule 1927 also states that an entity whose stable area does not satisfy the "reasonable standard of fire safety" requirement may petition the CHRB for an extension of time to bring the facility into compliance.

The North County Fire Protection District conducted an inspection on July 31, 2020, and did not find any violations. The new barns, which have capacity for approximately 200 horses, have sprinkler systems, although the on-duty guard can call in the event of a fire and the proximity of the barns to the guard house allowed the fire district to approve a fire bell rather than an automatic fire alarm system. The sprinkler systems and alert system are tested annually by the fire department.

San Luis Rey has requested a 2021 annual inspection, although the fire district has not yet scheduled that.

The August 2020 CHRB meeting included granting The Stronach Group an extension until July 31, 2021.

"We're moving forward with them. They're getting put in," said San Luis Rey general manager Kevin Habell.

Issues involving the reaction to the coronavirus outbreak have delayed completion. "Trying to hire anyone or get materials, it's been a nightmare for the past year," Habell said.

San Luis Rey has also been delayed in its stall renovation project due to the inability to procure plywood. "It's not just fire sprinklers," he said. "The materials are just backlogged because the factories have been shut down."

Habell noted that customers face a two to six month backlog for materials. "The delays are not from our part," Habell said.

Work has commenced on the installation of the fire sprinklers and alarm system, although that will not be complete by July 31. "We're definitely moving forward," Habell said.

San Luis Rey expects the work on the barns and living quarters to be complete by January 31, 2022. On June 3, The Stronach Group requested an extension until that date. The current completion estimate for the entire project which also includes the dining hall, bathrooms, the mechanic shop, and storage is April 30, 2022.

The current fire protection measures include fire extinguishers, smoke alarms, day and night patrol, and a water supply. "We're going over and above what the fire codes require," Habell said. "They're spending a lot of money on this. Money wasn't the object."

Habell expects the next NCFPD inspection to take place during early summer. San Luis Rey has been performing self-inspections. The CHRB acknowledged that due to the coronavirus situation, multiple inspections by a fire authority of a single site within a one-year period are difficult or outright not possible.