NIST Final Report Comment Submis

September 13, 2005

Dr. Jonathan Shimshoni

External Evacuation and Access 

for High Rise Buildings
Chapter 9.2--NIST’s Recommendations f

Improving the Safety of Buildings, Occuand Emergency Responders9.2.5 Group 5. Improved Building Evacuation

•Accommodation of timely full building evacuatio•Maximum remoteness and functional integrity of •Evaluation of evacuation technologies for future 

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an equal opportunity for evacuation for all o

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to facilitate emergency response access

9.2.6 Group 6. Improved Emergency Response

•Installation of fire-protected and structural harde

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to provide timely emergency response acce

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to allow evacuation of mobility-impaired oc
Egress and Access Improvement

Improving the interior-based approach – important b

–

applicable mostly for new buildings 

– not robust, vulnerable– vertical movement—problematic –

cost-effectiveness—low 

The market has identified the potential of the externadeveloped a plethora of external evacuation and acce
External Evacuation and Access Techno
External Evacuation and Access Techno
External Evacuation and Access Techno

Japan Regulation—supplemental escape venue 

Over 250,000 Japanese units sold worldwide

Asia Certification—Korea Fire Equipment Inspect

Several producers, sales and installations

France Regulation—supplemental escape venue, sp

buildings CD installations in hotels, hospitals, ministri

Germany, Spain, Austria, Finland, Australia

Several producers, thousands of installation

Canada Over 130,000 Canadian units installed worldIsrael Regulation—development of standards by S

Israel (SII), Fire Commissioner and IDFCertification by SII and TUVSeveral producers and installations

Around the World 
The acceleration in development of solutions after th

energized the regulatory process: NFPA Technical Committee on Means of Egress devedefining and recognizing escape devices and systemevacuation equipmentASTM Subcommittee E06.77 on High-Rise Building EDevices is in the process of developing standards fodevices: 

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Platform Rescue Systems (PRS)

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Controlled Descent Devices (CDD)

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Chutes Devices (CD)

Standards Institution of Israel (SII) and ASTM are cooin parallel, US and Israeli standards

Regulatory Process 
• Breaks through the geometry boundaries of tall 

- Suitable for both new and existing building- Relatively easy and cost-effective to implem

• Increases the capacity of a building's means of e

be used to accommodate timely full evacuation o

• Enhances the remoteness of egress components • Suitable for evacuees of all ages and all abilities

occupants an equal opportunity for evacuation (

• Provides timely emergency access to responder

of mobility-impaired occupants (#21)

External Evacuation and Access--Advan
Page 211, Recommendation 17

Suggestion for revision: “NIST recommends that tall buildings should be desof existing structures be reviewed for retrofitting, to 

full building evacuation of occupants due to buildinglarge-scale emergencies such as widespread power earthquakes, tornadoes, hurricanes without sufficienwarning, fires, accidental explosions, and terrorist atpopulation, function, and iconic status should be takdesigning the egress system.The capacity of stairwells and exits, together with oth

of evacuation and access, should be adequate to acc

counterflow due to emergency access by responders

Comment Number 1
Page 211, Recommendation 17, paragraph c, first sen

Suggestion for revision:“If protected/hardened elevators are provided for embut become unusable during emergency, due to a maconventional treat whose magnitude exceeds the main design, sufficient (stairwell) means of evacuation a

should be provided to ensure timely emergency respbuildings that are undergoing full evacuation. Such cprovided either via dedicated stairways for fire servicsufficient stairway capacity (i.e., number and width ouse of scissor stairs credited as a single stair) or by 

and access technologies to accommodate the evacuoccupants while allowing access to emergency respohindrance from occupant counterflow.”

Comment Number 2 
Page 212, Recommendation 18

Suggestion for revision: "NIST recommends that egress systems should be dmaximize remoteness of egress components (i.e., staevacuation and access systems, exits) without negat

average travel distance;..."

Comment Number 3 
Page 214, Recommendation 20

Suggestion for revision: “NIST recommends that the full range of current and evacuation technologies should be evaluated for futuprotected/hardened elevators, (exterior escape) exteand access devices, and stairwell navigation devices

all occupants an equal opportunity for evacuation, ad

capacity and facilitate emergency response access.”

Comment Number 4 
Page 214, Recommendation 21, first paragraph: 

Suggestion for revision: “NIST recommends the installation of evacuation and (i.e. fire-protected and structurally hardened elevatorevacuation and access systems) to (improve emerge

activities in tall Buildings by providing) provide time

to responders and allowing evacuation of mobility-imoccupants. Such (elevators) systems should be (inst

use) operated by emergency responders during eme

buildings, consideration also should be given to inst(elevators) systems for use by all occupants.” 

Comment Number 5