On April 6, the Emergency Services Council wrote to the Board of County Commissioners to express concern about the growing movement within the boundaries of three fire districts to abolish use of the Uniform Building Code. Jay Hutcheson, Chairman of the ESC, said a long discussion was held prior to drafting of the memo. As emergency service professionals, those in attendance reached a consensus that abolishment of the UBC has the potential to create a host of problems. That safety, he said, is a double-edged sword.
Safety applies equally to both home residents and emergency personnel.
Ingress and egress represent some of the tough issues with which emergency personnel are faced in performance of their duties. Concerns in this area include proper doorway clearances, curves in stairways, handrail height, and physical size of hallways. Any of the above-mentioned factors could prove problematic during an evacuation attempt. Currently, the UBC calls for installation of fire blocks which slow the internal spread of a fire upward to the roof. Roof collapse can also result when drywall becomes wet.