(a) Exits shall be provided and maintained as required by this chapter and the applicable sections of the Montgomery County Code.
(b) All doors in or leading to exits shall be maintained operable from the inside without the use of a key or any special knowledge or effort at all times when the building or area served thereby is occupied.
(c) Special purpose door alarms or bolting devices shall be approved by the Director prior to installation. Manually operated edge or surface mounted flush bolts are prohibited.
(d) In other than individual dwelling units no person shall place, store or keep, or permit to be placed, stored or kept any materials the presence or burning of which would obstruct or render hazardous an exit.
(e) No person shall at any time place an encumbrance of any kind before or upon any fire escape, balcony or ladder intended as a means of escape from fire.
(f) All fire exit doors which open into stairways or exit passageways and any doors which are installed across corridors to provide fire or smoke barriers shall be self-closing and shall be so maintained or shall be automatic doors which will close upon activation of a fail safe type of approved smoke detection device.
(g) It shall be unlawful to block, obstruct or otherwise impair the operation of any door required to be self-closing or automatic.
(h) All doors which are installed to provide protection of openings in exit stairways or exit corridors shall be equipped with a positive latching device to prevent the spread of smoke and fire.
(i) No person shall block, impede or obstruct any aisle, passageway, hallway, lobby, foyer or stairway leading to or from an entrance or exit required by law which will prevent, delay, hinder or interfere with the free use of such passageway by any person.
(j) The following exceptions are provided to the requirements to provide free and unobstructed egress from all parts of all buildings and structures at all times.
(1) In mental, penal or corrective institutions where supervisory personnel is continually on duty and effective provisions, approved by the Director, are made to remove occupants in the case of fire or other emergency.
(2) When approved by the Director, in buildings occupied only by personnel whose principal duty is the security of the building and when each such person has keys to an adequate number of exits, the prohibition against the use of keys in exit doors may be waived. (1975 L.M.C., ch. 23, § 1.)