(A) General. A safe, continuous and unobstructed path of travel shall be provided from any point in a building or structure to the public way. Means of egress shall comply with the International Fire Code.
(B) Aisles. The required width of aisles in accordance with the International Fire Code shall be unobstructed.
(C) Locked doors. All means of egress doors shall be readily openable from the side from which egress is to be made without the need for keys, special knowledge or effort, except where the door hardware conforms to that permitted by the International Building Code.
(D) Emergency escape openings. Required emergency escape openings shall be maintained in accordance with the code in effect at the time of construction, and the following. Required emergency escape and rescue openings shall be operational from the inside of the room without the use of keys or tools. Bars, grilles, grates or similar devices are permitted to be placed over emergency escape and rescue openings provided the minimum net clear opening size complies with the code that was in effect at the time of construction and such devices shall be releasable or removable from the inside without the use of key, tool or force greater than that which is required for normal operation of the escape and rescue opening.
(E) Fire partitions.
(1) Opening protection. Openings from a private garage directly into a room used for sleeping purposes shall not be permitted. Other openings between the garage and residence shall be equipped with either solid wood doors not less than one and three-eighths-inch (35 mm) in thickness, solid or honeycomb core steel doors not less than one and three-eighths-inch (35 mm) thick, or 20-minute fire-rated doors. (IRC 309.1 2003)
(2) Floor surfaces. Garage floor surfaces shall be of approved noncombustible material. (IRC 309.3 2003)
(3) Separation required. The garage shall be separated from the residence and its attic area by not less than one-half-inch (12.7 mm) gypsum board applied to the garage side. Garages beneath habitable rooms shall be separated from all habitable rooms above by not less than five-eighths-inch (15.9 mm) Type X gypsum board or equivalent. Where the separation is a floor-ceiling assembly, the structure supporting the separation shall also be protected by not less than one-half-inch (12.7 mm) gypsum board or equivalent. (IRC 309.2 2003)
(4) Duplex. Dwelling units in two-family dwellings shall be separated from each other by wall and/or floor assemblies having not less than one-hour fire-resistance rating when tested in accordance with ASTM E 119. Fire-resistance-rated floor-ceiling and wall assemblies shall extend to and be tight against the exterior wall, and wall assemblies shall extend to the underside of the roof sheathing. (IRC 317.1 2003)
(Ord. 1806, passed 2-5-2018)