Evening star., 1948-10-17
NewFireCode
Issued in Digest
For Landlords
Most Owners Get
First Chance to See
Building Rules
H!GHL1GHTS of new egress regu.
4aIlonS. Page A-25
By Colt Hendley, Jr.


The Coconut Grove Night Club
in Boston went up in flames
November %, 1912, killing more
than 500 persons, and the effect
of that holocaust is coming home
to District property owners now,
some six years later.
A digest of the Districts new
tlre prevention and fire protection
regulations for existing buildings
born of that Boston fire-was re-
leased yesterday. 1t offers the first
chance most property owners have
had to see just how they will have
to change their buildings after
January /, when the regulations be-
come effective.
Up to now, the only copies Of
the new code have been photostatic
copies used in the District Building
Inspectors office. which prepared
the digest.
Estimates on how much it will
cost District property owners start
from sl0,000,0O0, but nobody really
knows.
Law Passed in 1912.
Congress passed the Egress Act
for the District month after the
Coconut Grove Club fire. That night
OF horror in Boston made the Ma
tons fire prevention experts decide
that fire safety laws and building
codes were outmoded. AS a result,
buildings constructed to conform in
every sense with what had been re-
garded as adequate safety principles
no longer were considered safe.
That is the situation in the Dis
trict. On January l, thousands Of
buildings here will be considered
fire hazards under the new code.
The act gave the Commissioners
authority to set up regulations gov
erning the fire safety of existing
buildings other than private dwell
ings as we'll as new construction
and named the type of buildings af-
fected. The act covered buildings
three or more stories or over 30
feet high, or any building used as
hospital, school. asylum, sanitar-
ium, convalescent home, place Of
amusement. public assembly. res
taurant or any building similarly
used.
The revised code for buildings
being constructed has been in effect
since March 8. 1946. The code going
into effect on January covers al
buildings in existence on that date.
Its creation has been drawn out
from 1942 until now.
Provisions Outlined.
In broad terms. it provides that
Opep stairways used rs exits from
the buildings must be inclosed in
fireproof material.
Open elevator shafts must be
iinciosed as well as other open shafts
or areaways.
Extra doors and means of egress
must be provided.
Fire resistive doors must be in
stalled in many instances
Easements and boiler rooms must
be flreproofed.
Emergency lights. exit lights, fire
extinguishers and fire alarm appar-
atus must be installed.
The number of persons who may
gather in any auditorium. gymnasi-
um, cafeteria or other place of pub
lie assembly must be determined by
a formula which is expected to re-
duce the capacity Of many such
places.
Transoms to Be Closed.
I Where fire escapes are allowed.
doors or windows leading to them
and below them must be made fire.
resistive by covering with metal.
Transoms in doors which connect
rooms with public corridors must be
closed permanently and reinforced.
Slat doors or lowers are not per-
mitted between public corridors or
sleeping rooms. Both of these hit
hotels hard.
Hospitals must remove fire
escapes and replace them with
interior or exterior stairways.
Schools must remove all fire
escapes and provide two exits from
each classroom.
Actually nobody knows just how
much it will cost" Rufus Lusk of
the Building Owners and Managers
Association. declared. 1T probably
will run more than sl0,000,000. I
don't know"
Mr.. Lusk is one of the members
of the 20-man committee Of citizens
and District officials which drew up
the final form of the regulations
which have been the object of con-
troversial debate here since 1912.
He said the original proposed
tSee EGRESS. Page AID