FIRE ESCAPES

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FIRE ESCAPES
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• Fire escapes can be found on many multi-story
  structures, such as
• commercial buildings,
• industrial buildings,
• schools,
• apartments houses,
• hotels,
• wood frame dwellings.
• While designed for a buildings occupants as an
  emergency egress, they are actually used more by
  FFs.

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• Provides a method of escape in the event of a
  fire or other emergency when stairs inside the
  building are inaccessible,
• A fire escape consists of a number of horizontal
  platforms, one at each story of a building, with
  ladders or stairs connecting them.
• The platform and stairs are usually open
  gratings, to prevent the buildup of ice, snow,
  and leaves

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history
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HISTORY

• One of the first fire escapes of any type was
  invented in 1784 in England. Daniel Maseres,
  invented a machine called a fire escape, when
  fastened to a window, would enable anyone to
  descend to the street without injury.
• On 2/2/1860, a fatal fire in a NYC wood framed
  tenement, killing 10 people, led to the first
  egress law in NYC.
• In 1867, NYS passed a public law, The First
  House Tenement House Act requiring fire escapes
  and every room must have a window.

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HISTORY

• In 1887, an American inventor named Anna
  Connelly registered a patent for the exterior
  steel staircase that would serve as the prototype
  for the modern metal fire escape. Connellys
  invention introduced a cost-effective way to add
  safety to both existing buildings and new
  construction in the 1900s. It became mandatory
  under the building codes that cities began to
  adopt at the turn of the century.
• Although fire escapes were still being
  constructed after 1930, they were no longer
  recognized as a safe, acceptable means of egress.

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Codes
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CODES

• Fire escapes are not allowed to be installed on
  new building construction,
• Interior exit stairways or ramps shall be
  provided and enclosed with fire barriers that
  have a fire resistance rating,
• Existing fire escapes are accepted means of
  egress from existing buildings,

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CODES

• New fire escapes can be installed on existing
  buildings only where exterior stairs cant be
  utilized due to limits of lot lines, sidewalks,
  alleys or roads at grade level. (NYS Existing
  Building Code, Section 303.1.3)
• Made of metal or approved noncombustible
  material. Wood can be used on Type V (wood frame)
  construction.

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Definitions
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DEFINITIONS

• FIRE ESCAPE
• an emergency means of egress from a building
  consisting of metal balconies on the outside of a
  building connected by ladders to each other and
  to the ground. Some fire escapes have a ladder
  from the top floor balcony to the roof.
• DROP LADDER
• a vertical ladder normally held in the "up"
  position at the second floor balcony of the fire
  escape by a hook. When this ladder is to be used,
  the hook is released and the drop ladder is
  lowered or dropped to the ground.

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DEFINITIONS

• GOOSENECK LADDER
• a vertical ladder, the side rails of which are
  curved at the top, used between the top floor
  balcony of a fire escape and the roof.
• PARTY WALL BALCONY
• a structure built as an emergency means of
  egress from a building which will afford
  horizontal access to an adjoining building or
  apartment separated by a fire wall. They do not
  have ladders to ascend or descend from floor to
  floor or to the roof.

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DEFINITIONS

• EXTERIOR STAIRWAY
• a semi-enclosed means of egress serving all
  floors with landings at each floor. Entry is
  through a doorway instead of a window.

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Types ofFIRE ESCAPES
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• There are many designs, variations and styles of
  fire escapes, but they can be categorized into
  three types
• the Standard,
• the Party Wall Balcony and
• the Exterior Stairway.

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THE STANDARD FIRE ESCAPE AND COMPONENTS
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• The STANDARD
• most common found, normally accessed by windows,
• metal balconies with metal ladders,
• metal parts usually connected with bolts or
  rivets and some were welded,
• width 3-4 ft., with stairway angles 45, 60, 75
  degrees or steeper,
• some can be 50 to more than 100 yrs old.

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STANDARD FIRE ESCAPE COMPONENTS

• The DROP LADDER
• a vertical ladder fixed to the front or side of
  the lowest balcony,
• held in the up position at the second balcony by
  a hook,
• lowered by lifting off the hook and letting it
  drop to the ground,
• are heavy and can come free of track guides.

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STANDARD FIRE ESCAPE COMPONENTS

• The GOOSENECK LADDER
• a vertical ladder with cured rails at the top,
• normally used from the top floor balcony to the
  roof,
• normally lagged into roof joist,
• sometimes have meal supports tied to parapet or
  roof joists for support.

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STANDARD FIRE ESCAPE COMPONENTS

• The COUNTER-BALANCED STAIRWAY
• supported on a pivot, balanced in a horizontal
  position by heavy counter-balancing weights,
• weights are either attached to one end of the
  stairway or held by a steel cable against the
  side of the building,
• located directly below or adjacent to the lowest
  landing,
• more likely found on commercial buildings.

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COUNTER-BALANCED STAIRWAY

• heavy metal or concrete weight attached,
• can have wall mounted pulley system counter
  weight,
• age/rust can cause brackets or cables holding
  counter weights to fall,
• designed to gradually go down as person walks
  down.

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THE PARTY WALLBALCONY
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• The PARTY WALL BALCONY
• a fire wall separates the buildings,
• may connect two or more buildings,
• mostly found in old tenement areas,
• no ladders or stairs connecting the balconies to
  allow floor to floor movement.

Fire Wall
No Gooseneck Ladder
Fire Wall
No stairs or ladders between floors
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PARTY WALL BALCONY

• Occupants escaping fire conditions
• occupants use the balcony to enter adjoining
  building(s), (essentially a horizontal exit),
• entry into adjoining building(s) may be hampered
  by window gates or other security measures,
• may have to be removed by ground and/or aerial
  ladders,
• may become overcrowded very quickly, causing
  overloading and possible collapse.

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PARTY WALL BALCONY

• FD operations
• can not be used to go from floor to floor for
  VES,
• can not be used to gain access to the roof,
• can not be used to stretch hoselines,
• may be found in the rear of buildings making it
  difficult to remove occupants,
• adjoining building may be vacant or boarded up
  hindering occupant escape, contact your building
  dept.
• survey your community to ascertain if any are
  within your response area.

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March 1912
Front Party Wall balcony connecting five
buildings 260-268 Elizabeth Street, NYC, NY.
Same building almost 100 years later
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Old photo of Party Wall Balcony at the rear of a
building
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EXTERIOR STAIRWAYS
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• The EXTERIOR STAIRWAY
• often found where large number of people are
  within the building, (manufacturing, schools,
  public assemblies)
• some have screened fence at stairway,
• there also may be a cover over the platform and
  stairs,
• also exposed to the elements,
• entry normally through doorway instead of a
  window.

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Exterior Stairways come in many forms
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Fire escape structural hazards
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FIRE ESCAPE STRUCTURAL HAZARDS

• May have been present for more than 50 years,
• Exposed to the elements and weakened by
  corrosion,
• Neglect or improper maintenance making them
  extremely dangerous.

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Broken, missing steps, the most severe hazard to
firefighters
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Open mortar joints or cracked bricks at the
connection points
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Fire department operations
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FD OPERATIONS ON FIRE ESCAPES

• Can be used to gain access to upper floors for
  Vent, Entry and Search (VES),
• If gooseneck ladder is present, can be used to
  access the roof,
• Hoselines can be stretched up the fire escape,
• Use FD ladders if uncertain about drop ladder or
  stairs integrity,
• Use FD ladders to ease over-crowding on the fire
  escape.

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Raise 1st ladder to first balcony opposite of
drop ladder
Raise 2nd ladder to second balcony

• To ease fire escape overcrowded with people

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Are there permits for this installation?
How is it secured to the building?
They are even be found on residential wood frame
dwellings
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No gooseneck ladder
Multiple dwelling exposure 3 or C side
Notice vertical ladder instead of stairs from
balcony to balcony
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Hook
Same multiple dwelling exposure 2 or B side
Typical stairs
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Something different
Twin fire escapes in the French Quarter
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SAFETY CONCERNS
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SAFETY CONCERNS ABOUT FIRE ESCAPES

• Broken steps cause most FF injuries,
• climb the steps smoothly, place your feet close
  to the side of the step, continue to grip some
  part of the railing,
• Always face the stairs when ascending or
  descending,
• Drop ladder not within the tracks and falling to
  the ground,

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SAFETY CONCERNS ABOUT FIRE ESCAPES

• Ice conditions during the winter,
• Dont lean against the balcony railing,
• Shake the gooseneck ladder before ascending or
  descending, to make sure it is secure,
• Venting debris, especially glass can be as
  slippery as ice,
• When lowering the drop ladder, stand beneath the
  fire escape.

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SAFETY CONCERNS ABOUT FIRE ESCAPES

• Items such as flower pots, barbecues, etc., can
  fall injuring the FF, code violation, notify
  inspector,
• Dont stand beneath counterbalanced stairs or
  counterweight, have been known to fall,
• Climbing a gooseneck ladder is dangerous when
  carrying tools or a saw, use a strap or rope,
• Keep one hand free while ascending or descending
  to grip the fire escape,

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A Tragedy
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On July 22, 1975 in Boston, a 19-year-old and her
2-year-old god-daughter were trapped in a burning
building. A firefighter, Robert ONeill, shielded
them from the flames as a fire ladder inched
closer. As the firefighter climbed on the
ladder, the fire escape collapsed. Although the
woman died from her injuries, the infant survived.
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summary
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SUMMARY

• Fire escapes can and do collapse,
• Many are old and lack proper maintenance,
• One missing step should serve as a warning that
  more can be missing and to the condition of the
  entire fire escape,
• Fire escape inspection should be a high
  priority, if you observe something wrong, report
  it,
• IC must be informed if there is a party wall
  balcony in the rear of the building,

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Prepared by Thomas Bartsch Chief Fire Inspector,
(ret)