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11(.4%pr 4 <br /> MEMORANDUM <br /> TO: Mayor Stephanson <br /> City Council <br /> FROM: Rick Robinson, Fire Marshal <br /> Tony Lee, Permit Services Manager <br /> DATE: October 21, 2010 <br /> SUBJECT: Summary of substantive changes to City's adoption of the state <br /> building code and the International Property Maintenance Code <br /> INTERNATIONAL FIRE CODE <br /> A new chapter in the International Fire Code("IFC"), Chapter 46 "Construction <br /> Requirements for Existing Buildings" clarifies the IFC's standards for existing buildings <br /> more clearly than it did in the past. The IFC standards do not support two Everett- <br /> specific, retroactive requirements adopted in 2007: <br /> o The requirement for installation of sprinklers in"windowless stories" of <br /> existing buildings, that is, basements or other stories with no exterior <br /> openings; and <br /> o The requirement for two exits from every basement in existing buildings. <br /> Further, the economic climate and feasibility of meeting the retroactive requirements <br /> would make compliance with the requirements extremely difficult. Therefore, the <br /> retroactive requirements above will not be re-adopted at this time: <br /> INTERNATIONAL PROPERTY MAINTENANCE CODE <br /> The International Property Maintenance Code requires emergency escape <br /> openings to be maintained in accordance with the code in effect at the time of their <br /> construction. This is different from the City of Everett Housing and Dangerous Building <br /> Codes (EMC 16.08 and 16.12, respectively), which required emergency escape openings <br /> to comply with the most current building codes. <br /> The IFC, however, has a provision that grants the fire code official authority to <br /> require upgrades to an emergency escape where he/she determines the emergency escape <br /> constitutes a distinct hazard to life. <br /> Proposed Changes to SBC— 10/10 3 9 Page 1 of 1 <br />