Life Safety

Fire department social halls often serve as a common gathering place for community members to host large groups for a variety of social and civic purposes.  However, any large gathering place has inherent risks and it is essential that those life safety risks are identified and steps are taken to improve the safety of the facility. These areas include:

• Exit design and adequacy
• Maximum occupancy determination and posting
• Panic hardware installation on emergency exits
• Smoke/heat detection system
• Adequate placement of fire extinguishers
• Emergency lighting adequacy

VFIS recommends that your organization consult NFPA 101 (Life Safety Code) for a complete evaluation of life safety design.  Implementation of these design measures will help reduce the chance of loss related to an emergency event in a public gathering area.

Emergency Exit Design and Maintenance

Clear paths and properly designed exits are a key component of safely evacuating a building in the event of an emergency. 

While it is recognized that the building may have been constructed and occupied prior to the inception of modern building codes, there were a number of concerns regarding exit design observed during our survey. To the extent possible, your organization should evaluate and address the following issues:

• At the exterior of the building at the exit termination, provide for a level walking surface outside of the door for at least the width of the exit door at is maximum measurement when open
• Remove storage and equipment installation in exit access ways
• Redesign interior doors so that when open they do not impede progress in the exit access areas
• Ensure exit signs are visible and properly installed
• Remove eye bolts and other objects which could serve to lock or block exit doors from operating.

You should consult your local building or code enforcement official for advice on the most effective way to accomplish these tasks.

Emergency Lighting

The Fire Station should be equipped with emergency lighting to aid in evacuation in the event of an emergency.  The emergency lighting should cover all means of egress (exit paths, corridors, aisles, stairways, etc.), have automatic transfer, and be capable of 1 ½ hours continuous operation.  At the time of our visit a number of the units tested did not operate.  All emergency lighting units should be tested on at least a quarterly basis and should be documented.  Any defects should be corrected immediately to ensure reliability of the emergency lighting.

Obstructed Exits

Clear paths to exits are a key component of safely evacuating a building in the event of an emergency. At the time of survey the 2nd floor hallway leading to the East Marie Street exit from the meeting hall was obstructed by storage. It is recommended that the storage be removed and this area be kept clear at all times to help facilitate safe emergency egress.

Further information related to the above areas of concern can be found by consulting NFPA 101.  Additional resources may be available through the local or state Fire Marshall’s office. 

Available Resources

• Property Management Self-Inspection Form
• NFPA 101A Guide on Alternative Approaches to Life Safety
• NFPA 101 Life Safety Code