New changes to the province’s building code are putting lives at risk, according to the BC Professional Fire Fighters Association (BCPFFA).
President Todd Schierling says allowing only one stairwell in multi-unit buildings up to six stories limits the number of escape routes during a fire.
“It’s really just not a safe building structure to operate in emergency situations, both for occupants egressing or escaping, evacuating the premises, or firefighters operating in that single exit stairway,” he explained.
Schierling’s statements come after the B.C. government introduced changes to the building code last week. Six-storey buildings are now allowed to have one exit stairwell instead of two or more, in an effort to boost housing supply and builds.
Housing Minister Ravi Kahlon said on Aug. 29 that updating the provincial building code to remove the requirement for a second egress or exit stairwell per floor will facilitate more options for residents who need larger layouts.
A policy report commissioned by the B.C. government says the main intent of having two exits is to allow occupants an alternate means of escape if one exit is blocked. The province says all new buildings designed under the changes will require safety measures including sprinklers, smoke-management systems, and wider stairwells.
The report looked at data from Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia, and New Zealand, and found about eight to 10 per cent of fires in apartment buildings may originate in exit stairs or common corridors, but they are mostly small.
However, Schierling says around 40 per cent of apartment buildings aren’t compliant when it comes to safety “layers and measures” like sprinkler systems and smoke detectors.
“[They] may not function properly, so that’s a problem with this type of situation,” he said.
Schierling also points to “congestion” in stairwells that would force evacuees through a window or balcony, to then be helped by firefighters outside the building on ladders and the like.
“It puts both the firefighters and the occupants at risk in those situations,” he said. “Nearly nine per cent of the fires in these buildings will start in the hallway or stairwell. Sixty-eight per cent of residential fire-related deaths are as a result of smoke inhalation.
“So, when that smoke is introduced into the stairwell chamber, we may introduce it when we’re fighting a fire down below, or it may start down below and work its way up. Where is everybody going to go? It’s not necessarily the heat or the flame — it’s the toxins and the smoke that will kill people,” he told 1130 NewsRadio.
Schierling says public safety professionals raised concerns about the changes during the consultation process but claims the province ignored them and quickly went through with the change.
“There was a consultation period and I can appreciate the provincial government wanting to find solutions for housing, the housing crisis, and so forth. They did consult with stakeholders of various associations. However, those consultations were rather brief, and we felt they were going to happen regardless of our input,” he shared.
Along with the BCPFFA, several public safety professional organizations have put out a statement saying provincial consultations were rushed and that changes were made rapidly.
“We stated our concerns, partial solutions, although we did ask to defer this to the NRC — the National Research Council — and it’s a national harmonization discussion consultation process that Canada has, that usually takes a lot longer than six months. So, this was expedited very quickly, whereas, in the normal process, it would take two to three years,” Schierling added.
Schierling says the association has contacted Premier David Eby and Kahlon again.
“We’re really trying hard to pivot this over to the NRC, the National Research Council, so it can be supported by pure evidence-based data,” he added. “It’s important for the safety of our firefighters, my members, and the occupants of those buildings and public safety.”
While other jurisdictions around the world do not require two or more exit stairwells, Schierling says those buildings are generally older and are built with different materials.
“Today’s buildings burn hotter and faster with the new lightweight lumber used in construction.”
-With files from Mike Lloyd and The Canadian Press