Evening star., 1963-05-12
Fire Code Violated
BY 80 Buildings
D. c. Hospitals
And Institutions
Cited in Report
BY CHARLES ID. PIERCE
Star Staff Writer


Star Staff Writer
Fire protection deficiencies
at SO District Government hos
pital and institutional build
ings have been reported by the
Department of Licenses and
Inspections.
Department inspectors have
found that these buildings do
not comply with the city's 1861
building code. Officials in the
Public Health, Welfare and
Corrections Departments have
been sent notices as part Of the
drive to secure compliance with
the building code.
Cost Of bringing these build
ings into compliance could run
into hundreds of thousands Of
dollars.
In addition to the CITY,
owned hospital and institution
buildings, numerous public
school buildings also do not
meet the building code. it was
learned.
'Five-StOry Flue'
Notices on the school build
ing deficiencies will be mailed
out shortly.
The District Building itself
does not meet the fire safety
standards in the building code.
1t has been described by a fire
official as "a five-story fluo
with the Commissioners sitting
on top"
Engineer Commissioner Fred
erick j. Clarke received q
report late Friday from j. J.
Ilgenfritz, director Of the De-
partment of Licenses and In
spections. showing that Of 2I6
District Government-owned
buildings inspected so far, SO
did not meet the fire safety pro-
visions in the code.
Clarke Studies Report
Brig. Gen. Clarke is now
studying the report which said
that of 4,413 older private and
public buildings inspected here
so far to determine if they con-
form to the building code fire
safety provisions, 4.006 were
found to have some deficiencies.
Corrective action has now
been taken in 2,100 of the
buildings where defects were
found, according to the report.
The inspections we're made rs
part of a 10-year program to
get compliance with the build
ing code which contains retro
active clauses requiring better
protection against loss of life
from fires in the approximately
10000 buildings three stories or
higher built here before 1916.
Under a priority system ap-
proved by the Commissioners,
the Department of Licenses and
Inspections is now seeking to
obtain compliance first in con-
valeScent homes, hospitals and
other institutions.
Defects at Hospitals
Twenty-one Welfare Depart
ment buildings housing chill
dren, elderly persons and de-
linquents have failed to meet
the 1861 building code, accord
ing to the report.
Deficiencies have also been
found at District General Hos
pital and Glendale Hospital
buildings under the jurisdic-
ton of the Department OF
Public Health. Work is now
under way to correct some of
the defects at the District Gen.
eral Hospital building.
Defects were also found at
"A correctional ! institution
buildings under the Depart
ment Of Corrections.
The District is now moving
TO correct some Of these def
ciencies, but 1t could not be de-
termined Immediately whether
sufficient money is being asked
in the fiscal 1864 budget to
correct all Of these defects.
The Commissioners will not
be served with a notice on the
District Building now because
this structure is in the office
building category which has a
low priority in the l0-year in
spection program.