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Fire station sleeping area

OK,

Now I have to read this again,

Getting lost on the single exit, and no EERO required.

Wish it was plain english
 
ICC's 2015 re-write of EERO's really complicated things from the previous Editions. Pay special ATTENTION to Tables 1006.3.2(1) and 1006.3.2(2) as referenced. Generally speaking, a sprinklered building with two exits off the Story DOES NOT require EERO's. The occupants (fire fighters) in the R Occupancy are considered non-transient (i.e. they are familiar with their surroundings, un-like a Hotel occupancy). If the "calculated" occupant load of the residential area is less than 16, the occupancy can be classified as an R3, if greater than 16 then the Occupancy is R2. Note, the R3 Occupancy has no handicap requirements (bad idea) and the R2 Occupancy must be Type B Accessible Sleeping and bathing units (better but still not great). What I have typically done is to provide fully accessible (ANSI A117) bathing facilities in the "public" accessible restroom and make the sleeping quarters Type B Accessible. Other Occupancies that are typical in a Fire Station are S2, B and A3 (meeting rooms).

Ken



What section says this in the code?? What edition are you using


""""Generally speaking, a sprinklered building with two exits off the Story DOES NOT require EERO's """"
 
Ok after reading the entire thread again, with what i have been given

Using 2015 IBC

Fire station R-2/S-2

Eight separate rooms/ beds on 2nd floor

One exit

Fire sprinkler system

1. The sleeping rooms are required EERO.


If they reclassify R-1, than no EERO required


Did I miss anything?????????/
 
Consider if not separate rooms but a shared dorm area with 60" privacy screens then no EERO?
 
Curiously shooting from the hip, how does IBC/VCC 419 come in to play with live/work units under an R2 classification in a fire station ? I understand the concept from the commentary persuasion, but with the R2 nomenclature, in concert with a mixed use 508, have to ask...
 
Curiously shooting from the hip, how does IBC/VCC 419 come in to play with live/work units under an R2 classification in a fire station ? I understand the concept from the commentary persuasion, but with the R2 nomenclature, in concert with a mixed use 508, have to ask...
Typically a fire station cannot meet the requirements of a live/work unit, particularly those in red below; therefore, they will go mixed use instead.

419.1.1 Limitations
The following shall apply to all live/work areas:
  1. The live/work unit is permitted to be not greater than 3,000 square feet (279 m2) in area;
  2. The nonresidential area is permitted to be not more than 50 percent of the area of each live/work unit;
  3. The nonresidential area function shall be limited to the first or main floor only of the live/work unit; and
  4. Not more than five nonresidential workers or employees are allowed to occupy the nonresidential area at any one time.

FYI....
  1. A lot of stations will be greater than 3000sf;
  2. The typical station will have far less than 50% of the are dedicated to residential;
  3. N/A
  4. Most stations will have more than 5 crew members on that are not residing at the station.
 
Typically a fire station cannot meet the requirements of a live/work unit, particularly those in red below; therefore, they will go mixed use instead.

419.1.1 Limitations
The following shall apply to all live/work areas:
  1. The live/work unit is permitted to be not greater than 3,000 square feet (279 m2) in area;
  2. The nonresidential area is permitted to be not more than 50 percent of the area of each live/work unit;
  3. The nonresidential area function shall be limited to the first or main floor only of the live/work unit; and
  4. Not more than five nonresidential workers or employees are allowed to occupy the nonresidential area at any one time.
I always get in trouble when I say typically, but do understand the point....
 
Question

Our fire department was all volunteers and have only in the last few years become a combination department. Currently we have 2-3 firefighters living at our station at any one time. From what I've read in the forum, our sleeping quarter are considered an R2 occupancy? The question has recently come up about means of egress from this area. We have two exits out of the room - one that goes to a common area with two external exits while the other exits into our vehicle bay. It is this second egress that seems to be raising some doubts as it leads to our bay. Are we out of compliance? Trying to sort things out in regard to EERO so any information would be helpful.

Our station is a single story building built in 1990-91 and is not sprinklered.
 
1988 UBC
Your fire station occupancy classification when it was built is "B" occupancy Division 2 and would have required EERO's when it was built if sleeping rooms where provided
UBC section 503
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Hotels and apartments where classified as R-1 occupancies and EERO's where required in sleeping rooms
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Thanks for the feedback on the occupancy rating. So if I am reading this correctly at least one of the two exits from the sleeping area needs to open to the outside? At the moment neither exit does and it would be impossible to do so as the sleeping area does not have an external wall.
 
I don’t know what 1988 Oregon code said about a door from a sleeping room to a garage but here and now that would not be allowed.
 
I don’t know what 1988 Oregon code said about a door from a sleeping room to a garage but here and now that would not be allowed.
I don't disagree with you on that point for sure. Our station was not designed with sleeping quarters in mind as we have only very recently evolved into a combination department with staff spending the night. The room we converted to the sleeping area was the only other room besides the training room. I just want to make sure we are up to code with everything. The code book is very thorough and a bit overwhelming in spots.
 
I think Joe B. is right, if you now have people living there, you have changed the use and need to bring that area up to the current codes, not the '88 codes.

Are you in a city or a county? Do you have a local building department? They would be able to help you with this, and they would be the best people to talk to since they know the local changes to the code.

If you are in a fairly low population area, the building department folks are usually willing to come out on site and walk and talk and help guide you on things like this.
 
Under current Oregon code, it seems like the living facilities at a fire station would be Group R-3 310.4 (Buildings that do not contain more than two dwelling units, Congregate living facilities non transient with 16 or fewer occupants). Section 1030.1.2 requires emergency escape and rescue openings in R-3 and R-4 occupancies.
 
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