Firefighters Raise ‘Serious Concerns’ About Updated BC Building Code Allowing Single-Stairwell Apartments

A construction worker is seen on top of a low-rise condo development being built in Coquitlam, B.C., on May 16, 2023. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck

British Columbia has changed its building code to permit single egress stair designs in low-rise and mid-rise buildings as a way to increase housing development, but it’s a move that has some fire officials raising safety concerns.

The change to the B.C. Building Code allows buildings up to six storeys to have one exit stairwell instead of two, Housing Minister Ravi Kahlon announced last week.

The building code previously called for at least two egress stairwells in buildings three storeys and higher. Kahlon said the update will make it possible to build housing projects on smaller lots and in different configurations.

A joint statement from the B.C. Professional Fire Fighters’ Association and the Fire Chiefs’ Association of B.C. said both groups have “serious concerns” about the change and accused the province of ignoring recommendations of the National Building Code of Canada.

“It is concerning that the Province of B.C. has reduced established critical life-saving features by circumventing the national code development consensus process,” B.C. Professional Fire Fighters’ Association President Todd Schierling said in the statement. “The national code development process ensures equal, non-biased dialogue between all stakeholders to find consensus.”

Fire Chiefs’ Association of B.C. President Dan Derby had similar concerns, saying the newly updated code poses a risk to both building occupants and first responders.

“Much like smoke alarms and carbon monoxide alarms, proper exiting is known to have saved thousands of lives and remains the fundamental building block to life safety,” he said.

The groups are advocating for “layered fire prevention measures” that include multiple exits, fire suppression systems, fire-rated construction, and automatic fire alarm systems. They said the updated code ignores “time-tested safety fundamentals,” and noted that fires can occur in egress pathways even with protection systems in place.

Both associations are requesting the changes be either reversed or paused until the National Research Council can be consulted. The council oversees the committee responsible for establishing building and fire codes in Canada.

Code Change Brings ‘Flexibility’

Vancouver Coun. Sarah Kirby-Yung is an advocate for the change to the B.C. building code and said she hopes to implement the new provincial changes in the city.

“As we have a goal to harmonize the Vancouver Building Bylaw and the Provincial BC Building Code to avoid costly discrepancies, now is the time to act,” Kirby-Yung said in a recent X post.

“I’m asking for this change in Vancouver to enable Single Egress Stair designs. Has long been on my radar to support larger, better quality, and family sized units and make low to mid-rise buildings more flexible.”

Kahlon has described the update as a move by the province to allow greater flexibility for multi-bedroom apartments as well as to improve housing density within areas of “transit-oriented developments.”

“With people struggling to find housing that meets their needs, we have to find ways to innovate and build differently,” Kahlon said in a statement. “By adjusting B.C.’s building code to allow single egress stair buildings, we can not only boost housing supply, but also create more options for people and families who need larger layouts and more bedrooms.”

Under the code, all single egress stair buildings must have a number of safety features, including sprinklers, smoke-management systems and wider stairwells, he said, adding that all construction under this model will emulate building designs currently implemented in major cities, such as Seattle and New York.

The code was updated after the province received a report in June from Jensen Hughes, an engineering and consulting services company from Burnaby. The report contained feedback from engineers, architects, and the fire services community.

The B.C. Professional Fire Fighters’ Association and the Fire Chiefs’ Association of B.C. said while the report identifies some fire service concerns, it does not go far enough to “highlight the significant risk to life safety that would exist” if  single stairway apartments are built.

The province has said the Ministry of Housing will work with the Office of the Fire Commissioner  to address safety concerns.