City of Spokane

Spokane Municipal Code

***Note: Many local criminal codes can now be located under Chapter 10.60 SMC while others are now cited under the Revised Code of Washington (RCW), which was incorporated into the municipal code in 2022. (See SMC 10.58.010). Code Enforcement, including Noise Control and Animal Regulations are located in Chapters 10.62 through 10.74.

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Title 17F
Chapter 17F.020
Section 17F.020.060
 

Title 17F Construction Standards

Chapter 17F.020 Alternative Methods and Materials for Mixed-use Residential Buildings

Section 17F.020.060 Fire Fighting Access

Access to the building for fire fighting and related purposes shall be provided as follows:

  1. Subject to the approval of the building official and the Spokane fire department, a minimum of two of the exterior facades of the building shall be accessible by a ladder truck, according to the following standards:
    1. The design shall minimize the number of apparatus setup points and shall maximize the number of residential units within the ladder reach per dire department approval.
    1. A building facade is accessible when each one hundred twenty feet of building facade, or fraction thereof, is within reach of a ladder positioned at an approved fire department vehicle access location.
    1. At least fifty percent of the living units that have windows on the exterior facades of the building (not just the accessible facades) must be within ladder reach of apparatus located at approved set points. Living units on the non-accessible sides are to be provided with areas of refuge or balconies.
    1. Setup points shall be on an access road which may be either a public street or an area of the property set aside for access road purposes. The access road shall be paved and support the weight of the apparatus. The access road shall comply with Spokane fire department standards and shall be of sufficient width to provide access to, and around, apparatus setup points.
    1. Each accessible building facade shall be no more than twenty-one feet (to allow ladder access to the roof) from the closest edge or curb of the access road.
    1. Any trees planted between the edge of an access road and an accessible building facade shall be subject to the approval of the Spokane fire department.
    1. The location of overhead wires along accessible building facades shall be subject to the approval of the Spokane fire department.
    1. Interior courtyards shall be not less than thirty feet in any interior dimension.
    1. Unless the roof has a slope greater than four vertical in twelve horizontal, all stairways shall extend to the roof surface.
    1. Each stairway shall include a Class I standpipe complying with the Spokane fire department standards.

Date Passed: Monday, August 14, 2006

Effective Date: Wednesday, September 27, 2006

ORD C33901 Section 9