Single Exit Stairways

Protecting Residents, Firefighters, and First Responders

Building More Homes Should Not Mean Compromising Safety

In August 2024, the Province of British Columbia amended the BC Building Code to permit residential buildings up to six storeys to be constructed with a single exit stairway under specific conditions.

The BC Professional Fire Fighters' Association (BCPFFA) and Fire Chiefs' Association of BC (FCABC) have expressed serious concerns about these changes and the potential consequences for residents and emergency responders.

We recognize the urgent need for more housing across British Columbia. However, changes to fundamental building safety requirements must be supported by rigorous research, transparent consultation, and a clear understanding of the consequences during real-world emergencies.

Why a Second Exit Matters

For decades, multiple independent exit stairways have provided a critical layer of protection in multi-storey residential buildings.

A second stairway offers an alternative escape route if one becomes compromised by fire, smoke, or another emergency. It also provides firefighters with additional operational flexibility during rescues and fire suppression.

Buildings with only one stairway introduce several significant concerns:

  • A single point of failure: If the only stairway becomes unsafe or inaccessible, residents have no alternative protected stairway.

  • Competing demands: Evacuating residents and advancing firefighters must share the same route.

  • Smoke exposure: Smoke entering the stairway can compromise the building's only protected exit.

  • Vulnerable occupants: Residents with mobility challenges or those requiring assistance may face greater evacuation difficulties.

  • Reduced firefighting flexibility: Firefighters have fewer options for separating rescue, evacuation, and suppression activities.

  • Reliance on building systems: Sprinklers, smoke-management systems, and other protective measures must perform as intended to maintain the expected level of safety.

While modern fire protection systems offer important safeguards, they do not eliminate every potential failure or operational challenge.

Emergency Response Capabilities Vary Across BC

The effectiveness of fire and life safety measures must also be considered in the context of local emergency response capabilities.

Fire department staffing, response times, access to specialized equipment, water supply, and available resources vary significantly between communities.

The BC Building Code's own technical commentary recognizes that single-exit residential buildings should not be located in jurisdictions unable to maintain high levels of fire prevention and firefighting response.

This creates an important question: Have the operational capabilities of fire departments across British Columbia been adequately assessed before permitting these buildings?

Widespread Concerns Across Emergency Services

Concerns about single-exit stairway buildings are not limited to the BCPFFA.

Fire service and police organizations across Canada and internationally have issued position statements, supporting letters, or other expressions of concern regarding the removal of a second exit from multi-storey residential buildings.

Fire Service Organizations

  • BC Professional Fire Fighters' Association (BCPFFA)

  • Fire Chiefs' Association of BC (FCABC)

  • Greater Vancouver Fire Chiefs' Association (GVFCA)

  • Canadian Association of Fire Chiefs (CAFC)

  • Ontario Association of Fire Chiefs (OAFC)

  • Ontario Professional Fire Fighters Association (OPFFA)

  • International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC)

  • International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF) and Metro Fire Chiefs Association

  • National Association of State Fire Marshals

Police Service Organizations

  • BC Association of Chiefs of Police (BCACP)

  • BC Police Association (BCPA)

  • National Police Federation (NPF)

These organizations represent a broad cross-section of professionals responsible for public safety and emergency response.

Their concerns deserve meaningful consideration before major changes to longstanding building safety requirements become an established part of residential construction.

Research Identifies Important Unanswered Questions

The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) has also examined the implications of single-exit stairway designs.

Its research and stakeholder discussions have highlighted several critical areas requiring further evaluation, including:

  • The potential for a single exit to become a single point of failure.

  • The impact on firefighter operational capabilities.

  • Conflicts between evacuating occupants and responding firefighters.

  • The effects of building construction, occupant behaviour, and emerging fire hazards.

  • Gaps in available research and comparative fire safety data.

Canadian research, including work by Len Garis and the University of the Fraser Valley, has also examined stakeholder concerns and the evidence surrounding single-exit residential buildings.

These technical questions reinforce the importance of a comprehensive, evidence-based review before making permanent changes to building safety standards.

Local Governments Have Called for Action

In 2025, the Union of BC Municipalities endorsed Resolution NR42, submitted by the City of Burnaby, calling on the Province to suspend the implementation of single-exit stairway provisions and undertake a comprehensive safety review.

The resolution specifically calls for:

  • Consultation with local governments and emergency service stakeholders.

  • Consideration of BC-specific fire safety and emergency response data.

  • A review of evacuation safety and the risks to occupants and first responders.

This represents an important acknowledgment by local governments that building code decisions must account for the safety of the people living in these buildings and those responding to emergencies.

What the BCPFFA Is Calling For

The BCPFFA urges the provincial government to:

  1. Suspend the single-exit stairway provisions pending a comprehensive review of their potential safety implications.

  2. Conduct an independent, evidence-based safety assessment examining evacuation, firefighting operations, emerging hazards, and fire protection system reliability.

  3. Meaningfully consult emergency service stakeholders, including firefighters, fire chiefs, police organizations, and local governments.

  4. Consider BC-specific conditions, including differences in fire department staffing, response capabilities, building construction, and emergency access.

  5. Ensure national code development standards and processes are respected when evaluating significant changes to established life-safety requirements.

Public Safety Must Come First

British Columbia needs more housing. We support responsible solutions that improve affordability and increase supply.

But decisions about building safety will affect residents, firefighters, and other emergency responders for decades to come.

The concerns raised by numerous emergency service organizations and local governments deserve a thorough and transparent response.

Building more homes and protecting public safety must go hand in hand.

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