this post was submitted on 04 Sep 2024
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Buildings in B.C. that are under six storeys will no longer be required to have more than one egress staircase, a change that has firefighters concerned about safety.

B.C. Housing Minister Ravi Kahlon announced the change to the provincial building code last week.

He says the change will help with the province’s housing crisis.

Requiring only a single staircase leaves more space for housing units, and makes six-storey buildings viable on smaller lots.

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[–] [email protected] 0 points 1 week ago (7 children)

Not according to Jason Cairney, second vice-president of the Fire Chiefs Association of B.C.

He says during a fire, 42 per cent of the time smoke impacts primary egress pathways. Sixty-eight per cent of fire-related deaths are due to smoke inhalation.

Fire chiefs come with stats. Politicians come with YT videos. I'm sticking with the experts here.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 1 week ago (5 children)

That's a very simple view. Most of western Europe and Asia have higher fire safety than Canada and have plenty of single-staircase buildings. These kinds of decisions are not made based off a single YouTube video. It may be a source of public awareness about other approaches, but that's only the springboard to get feasibilty studies and expert consultations underway. There are external fire escapes, mandated sprinkler systems and other ways to improve fire safety which alone will likely prove far more effective than double staircases.

There are many valid downsides to our outdated fire standards in Canada—many that introduce their own health impacts in other ways. And I wouldn't quite consider a fire chief to be the ultimate expert here. Sure their input is important to have, but I also want to hear from architects, standards bodies and academics that study building design and safety.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 week ago (4 children)

But politicians don't come with facts, so when choosing who to believe I'll always side with whoever comes ready with data to support their view.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 week ago

Did youbwstch the follow up video where the guybwhondid the first one went over the dsts the politicians used? Having ansprinker system reduces the spread if fore from roomnoe orgin from 46% down to 2%.

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