Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1907-09-13
Flre-Escape Ordinance.
Its Provisions Are Ample il Onlv R;s;dIv
Enforced.

Its Provisions Are Ample il Only R;sidIv
Enforced.
An ordinance regulating the eoui nment
OF certain buildings with fire escaprs
and imposing penalty.
TIL" C"""cH IF Mr city IF OlyAa D;o .I,
O"fdi" rs .foiiors:
SEC. l. Every hotel, lodging housa
boarding house. mill, or other building
OF three or more stories in height, which
is used for manufacturing purposes. or as
a shop, office, tenement house, lodging
house, or other place for the employ
ment, accommodation or recreation Of
persons, and all theater buildings, now
or hereafter erected in the city of Olvnl-
pia, shall be provided with good and
suitapie llre escapes, with floor or win
90" opening To same. on each story, be-
lore any building shall be used or uccr-
pied; or other good and easily accessible
external means of escape to be approved
by the board of fire wardens of the CITY.
SEC. :. All fire escapes shall he CON
siructed OF iron, with balcony on each
floor not less than two feet hv the full
width of the window or door on which
it is placed, and shall have ratings
around such balcony, made of onc.inch
gas pipe and securely fastened together.
Balcony floors shall be made of 5-l6x:}-i
men IRON strips set not more than one
inch apart, ribbed with -, inch rod
and washers, not more than two feet
apart. All openings through balcony
floors shall not be less than twenty inches
square. There shall he a balcony placed
at one door or window on each floor on
each and every story above the first
story OF the building, and il shall be 40
constructed as to be easy of access. II
the first balcony floor is more than
twelve feet from the ground, there shall
be a hinged extension ladder attached
that will reach to within SIX feet of the
sidewalk.
SEC. ). Walls shall be drilled for all
balcony brackets through full thickness
OF wall. and all balcony ratings shall be
securely fastened to the wall.
SEC. 1. There shall he an iron ladder
on al! three story or higher buildings, with
side rails one and one-half inches by
three-eights inch, placed not less than
fourteen inches apart, and on buildings
more than three stories in height, the
side rails of ladder shall be one and
one-half inches by three-eighths inch, in
length extending from the lower bal
cOny to two feet above the top of the fire
wall, and shall be fastened to the build
ing in the following manner: All ladders
shall be fastened to wooden buildings bv
boiling to brackets with one and one
hall by three-eighths inch bar iron, said
brackets to be fastened to the building
with lag bolts six inches by five-eishths
inch let into the studding. Said brackets
not to be more than twelve feet apart.
On all brick buildings the wall must be
drilled through their entire thickness,
and five-eighths inch rod with four
inch iron washer on the inside, to he
filled around with cement, and the lad
der TO be bolted to said rods; all said
bolts through wall to be not more than
twelve feet apart. The outside rail of
all balconies shall he made of five
eighths by two inch iron or its equiv
alent in strength and shall be supported
by an iron brace Of One-half by two inch
square iron at an angle of forty-five de-
grees to the building and shall be well
and substantially built.
SEC. D ANY variation from the spec
ifcation required by this ordinance must
he OF such character to be equally ef-
fective in meeting the necessary require
ments and the object to be attained, and
must meet the approval of the board of
fire wardens before being adopted.
SEC. q. Every building having fifty
rooms or more above the first story,
shall have an additional fire escape for
each additional thirty rooms or fraction
of not less than twenty rooms, which
shall be so placed on said building as 10
best accommodate the rooms in said
building.
SEC. :. All fire escapes shall be kept
clear from any obstruction whatsoever.
SEC. 3. 1t is hereby made the duty of
the board Of fire war,ians to report 10 the
city council any building as to which
the provisions of this ordinance has not
now or shall not at any time hereafter
be observed, and it is hereby made the
duty of the chief of fire department to
ascertain that all fire escapes are kept
in repair and in efficient condition TO
carry out the purposes of this ordinance
and afford the utmost aid in protecting
life and property from fire, and to report
the same to the board of fire wardens.
SEC. .. Any person owning, leasing or
controlling any building governed by
this ordinance, who shall fail or neglect
TO construct or cause TO he constructed.
fire escapes as herein provided, after
being notified in writing by the board of
fire wardens, or shall fail to keep the
same in repair and in efficient condition.
or shall refuse to comply with any
of the requirements Of this ordinance
shall. upon conviction thereof, be subject
to fine of not less than five dollars, nor
more than one hundred dollars.
Approved, Sept, 9th. 1898.
J. w. ROBINSON, Mayor.
Attest: r. A. FoKD. Clerk.