It is the intent of the Legislature that essential services buildings, which shall be capable of providing essential services to the public after a disaster, shall be designed and constructed to minimize fire hazards and to resist, insofar as practical, the forces generated by earthquakes, gravity, and winds. It is also the intent of the Legislature that the structural systems and details set forth in working drawings and specifications be carefully reviewed by the responsible enforcement agencies using qualified personnel, and that the construction process be carefully and completely inspected. In order to accomplish these purposes, the Legislature intends to provide for the establishment of building standards for earthquake, gravity, fire, and wind resistance based upon current knowledge, and intends that procedures for the design and construction of essential services buildings be subjected to qualified design review and construction inspection.
It is further the intent of the Legislature that the nonstructural components vital to the operation of essential services buildings shall also be able to resist, insofar as practical, the forces generated by earthquakes, gravity, fire, and winds. The Legislature recognizes that certain nonstructural components housed in essential services buildings, including, but not limited to, communications systems, main transformers and switching equipment, and emergency backup systems, are essential to facility operations and that these nonstructural components should be given adequate consideration during the design and construction process to assure, insofar as practical, continued operation of the building after a disaster.