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Council proposes emergency‑escape openings on all sleeping rooms for single‑exit buildings
Summary
Members endorsed an enhancement to require emergency escape and rescue openings (EEROs) in all sleeping rooms and on all stories of single‑exit residential buildings, expanding the model code’s below‑fourth‑story requirement to provide redundancy when only one exit is available.
The tag group discussed emergency escape and rescue openings (EEROs) and agreed with a recommendation from the WAVO group and fire marshals to require EEROs in sleeping rooms on all stories of single‑exit R‑2 buildings, not just below the fourth story as in current model code.
Participants explained the rationale: when a single stair serves all units, windows and other EEROs give occupants an alternate means of escape or rescue. One participant noted that model code historically limits rescue window requirements to lower stories because typical aerial ladder reach is limited; the tag group’s proposal expands that redundancy for buildings that will rely on a single stair.
The group also discussed yard and court access dimensions that EEROs require — code defines yard widths and minimums by story — and asked staff to check how those yard dimensions interact with the appendix. There was consensus to include EERO requirements in the draft appendix and to verify dimensional requirements for yards or courts where the openings will discharge.
