City of Cranbrook council Dec. 9 approved ‘Cranbrook Single Egress Stairwell Policy No. 70-04,’ which allows certain multi-story residential buildings to be constructed with a single egress stairwell, but only where the supporting fire protection and emergency response infrastructure already exists..

The move reflects a change in policy by the B.C. government.

In August 2024, the provincial government amended the British Columbia Building Code (BCBC) to allow certain multi-story residential buildings (up to six storeys and 18 m in height) to be constructed with a single egress stairwell under strict conditions.

This design is only permitted where a high level of fire prevention, suppression, and rescue capacity exists, including regular inspections, a fully staffed and equipped fire department, reliable water supply, and the ability to conduct multi-company firefighting and occupant rescue operations.

The Code explicitly warns that single-exit buildings should not be located in jurisdictions lacking these capabilities.

Cranbrook Fire & Emergency Services provides rapid response for most emergencies but does not have the staffing or resources to deploy multiple apparatus simultaneously for support suppression and rescue as envisioned by the BCBC for single-egress buildings.

The city cannot meet the assumptions of Subsection 3.2.10, including intensive fire prevention inspections, multi-company suppression, and coordinated occupant rescue if the single exit is blocked, the city noted.

Given these limitations, approving a single-egress residential building in Cranbrook would create a foreseeable life-safety risk. Until the fire department’s operational capacity aligns with the code’s requirements, staff recommend that such developments not be supported.

The city continues to support housing development through other policies and initiatives that meet its Housing Needs Assessment targets.

Read more.

Cranbrook Fire & Emergency Services file photo

e-KNOW

Article Share