In The Spotlight
Health And Wellness
Single-exit housing designs put lives at risk — both for residents trying to escape and for fire fighters trying to get in
**** Via Halifax Professional Firefighters
Single-exit housing designs put lives at risk — both for residents trying to escape and for fire fighters trying to get in
As highlighted by the IAFF, proposals in Canada and the U.S. to permit single-stairwell residential buildings ignore decades of proven safety standards. Reducing exits means fewer escape routes, longer evacuation times, and greater danger for everyone when seconds matter most.
We’ve raised similar concerns here in Halifax — including during the Hanwell Drive fire, where multiple stairwells were used simultaneously by fire fighters for fire attack and by residents to escape. That incident showed how quickly fire can spread in modern construction and why having more than one exit can make the difference between life and tragedy. Thankfully, no injuries occurred.
Affordable housing is important, but it should never come at the expense of public or fire fighter safety.
