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.
I understand it’s concerning to hear when a fire chief is saying that this change could be dangerous, but the gentleman in the linked video provides far more stats regarding the fire safety of single stairwell dwellings than Mr Cairney has.
In fact, so many people have had this concern, that he made a followup with even more evidence for how safe a properly built single stairwell apartment building is, contrary to what the Fire Chiefs Association would suggest https://youtu.be/ozwkP9Zsi0Y