Escape and Rescue

ESCAPE AND RESCUE Under the building code, all bedrooms must have a door or window in them which permits a fireman with an oxygen pack to get into the space and rescue someone. These are called escape and rescue openings. Because many renovations of existing buildings for live/work and even some new construction live/work-- as envisioned under R-8 & F-8 occupancies-- are configured such that the bedroom (often in some sort of loft) is near the core of the building and the work space is closer to the windows, special provisions have been made in the live/work code for the emergency escape and rescue opening to be located outside the bedroom as long as it can be seen from that opening and there is a direct path of travel from the bedroom to the window. There are also other exceptions, called alternate means of escape and rescue in the live/work code.