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Public commenter and fire marshal raise alarm over proposed state code allowing single-stair egress to six stories
Summary
A member of the public alerted the Board to a Sept. 17 public hearing on proposed 2026 State Building and Fire Codes that could permit single-stair egress in six-story multifamily buildings; Fire Marshal Donahue said his office and the chief's office have expressed concerns to the state.
During public comment on Sept. 16, resident Diane Cece alerted the commission to a state public hearing on Sept. 17 before the Department of Administrative Services Codes and Standards Committee about proposed 2026 State Building and Fire Codes, and she urged the department and commissioners to review and comment before the state comment period closes Oct. 11.
Cece said she and other civic groups were concerned that a proposed change would allow single-stair egress in multifamily buildings up to six stories and described that as a “very dangerous thing” because it could leave occupants with only window egress and a single internal stairway in an emergency.
Fire Marshal Donahue told the board the Norwalk Fire Marshal’s Office and the chief’s office are aware of the proposal and have reached out to the state to express concerns. Donahue said the proposal as discussed would look to add a truck company response to provide a second means of egress rather than requiring a second interior stair, and the Norwalk office has communicated its opinion to the state.
The resident who spoke urged immediate attention because the hearing was scheduled for Sept. 17 in Hartford and public comment closes Oct. 11 — dates the fire department and commissioners noted. The fire marshal’s office said it has already “expressed our concerns” to state officials and will direct any appropriate response based on its review.
No formal action by the commission was taken at the Sept. 16 meeting regarding the state code change; commissioners asked the fire marshal to continue reviewing the proposal and to advise whether the board should submit a comment.
