City of San José
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68℉Public Records
The San José Fire Department is committed to providing members of the public their full right of access to our public records under the California Public Records Act and the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). We strive to deliver fast, accurate, and thorough responses to all public records requests. For more information, please see the City of San José's Public Records Policy and Protocol document.
FEES FOR PUBLIC RECORDS
The City of San José does not charge for data that is readily accessible without significant cost. The City, however, may charge for the actual costs of duplicating paper copies of records and postage, consistent with the amounts set forth in the City’s Schedule of Fees and Charges. The City may also charge for duplication costs in another medium in accordance with the amounts set forth in the Schedule of Fees and Charges (e.g., copying video or cassette tapes).
The hourly cost incurred by City staff will be charged for responding to any request for public information that either:
- Is produced only at otherwise regularly scheduled intervals;
- If the interim production of the report cannot be achieved without a substantial burden on City staff; or
- Requires the City to write programming language or extract data that would not otherwise be extracted.
Before any fees are incurred, the City employee responsible for responding to the request must notify the requester of the estimated cost to respond, including a breakdown showing how those costs were determined and the requester must agree to pay the estimated cost.
DEPARTMENT REQUEST RESPONSE TIME
SJFD responds to all public records requests as promptly as possible, and provides responsive records, if any, as soon as possible after they are available. SJFD has 10 calendar days to respond to a request to inspect or receive copies of records. In certain circumstances, SJFD may extend the time an additional 14 calendar days.
Circumstances in which a request may be extended an additional 14 calendar days:
- Search for, collect and appropriately examine a voluminous amount of separate and distinct records included in a single request
- Search for and collect the requested records from a remote storage facility or location separate from Department headquarters
- Consult with another agency or City department that has a substantial interest in the response to the request or the need to compile data
If the Department extends the time to respond, the Department will notify the requesting party in writing with a new estimated date of completion.