A properly installed and maintained fire escape will provide building occupants with a secondary means of emergency egress for 20 to 25 years. Sadly, this is one of the most often overlooked areas of a building’s emergency exit strategy. Sixty percent of the fire escapes we are called to service are inoperable and years overdue for maintenance.
In a city like San Francisco, where so many of the buildings are older and multistory buildings are positioned mere feet apart—not to mention the additional risks from earthquakes in the Bay Area—clearly marked and lit, well-functioning escape routes are essential to preventing loss of life.
City of San Francisco Fire Escape Maintenance Regulations
The city of San Francisco has instituted code regulations regarding secondary means of egress from private and public buildings within the city. For example, the San Francisco Fire Escape Inspection Code, which supersedes NFPA 101 Life and Safety Code, requires in Section 604 (Structural Maintenance) that all wood or metal decks and balconies, as well as landings, exit paths, entire stairways, guardrails, handrails, fire escapes, or any parts of these that are exposed to weather in apartment buildings and hotels be inspected by a licensed general contractor, or other qualified state-licensed inspector.
The inspectors must verify that the exit systems, corridors, balconies, and decks are in safe condition, that they work properly, and that that they are free of improper alterations and decay risk. Property owners are required to show proof of compliance with this section by submitting an a.davit form signed by the responsible inspector to the Housing Inspection Services Division every five years.
In Section 908 of the San Francisco Fire Escape Inspection Code (Maintenance and Repair), the city requires that all Peninsula Fire Protection specializes in the installation, maintenance, and inspection of fire escapes in the city of San Francisco and the Bay Area. We make sure that our clients are 908 and 604 compliant, while reducing the risk of loss of life to building occupants.
During a fire escape service and inspection we:
- Inspect the fire escape pull-pin to make ensure it is working properly in compliance with S1110.3.1 of the San Francisco Fire Code.
- Test the ladder to see if it will disengage and roll out to a fully extended position.
- Inspect the fire escape cable, joints, and hinge conditions from the roof to the lowest landing point.
- Use a silicone based lubricant to free-up seized mechanical points and protect moving parts from weather related deterioration. Peninsula Fire Protection also replaces cables, fire escape locks, and other parts when needed.
We have more than fifteen years of experience inspecting and maintaining fire escapes in the Bay Area, and we are on call now to help your business avoid penalties or unnecessary risks to life and property. Call us at 1-877-347-3991 to schedule maintenance on your fire escape now.
