Considerations - Fire Apparatus Access <br />■ Extent of Access: Within 150 feet of the far- <br />thest exterior point; can be farther in sprin- <br />klered buildings. <br />■ Perimeter Access: As many sides of the build- <br />ing and as much of the perimeter as possible; <br />take advantage of frontage increases. <br />■ Number of Fire Lanes: More than one when <br />dictated by code official or AHJ. <br />■ Turnarounds: Provided for on all dead-ends <br />more than 150 feet long. <br />■ Clear Width (excluding parking): Minimum 20 <br />feet; preferably, 24 feet to allow passing and <br />26 feet in the vicinity of fire hydrants or points <br />of aerial access. <br />■ Clear Height: Minimum 13 feet 6 inches; high- <br />er where subject to accumulations of snow <br />and ice. <br />■ Obstructions: Avoid overhead wires and other <br />obstructions. <br />■ Proximity to Buildings for Aerial Operations: If <br />parallel to buildings more than 30 feet high, <br />locate near edge 15-30 feet away. <br />■ Turn Radius: Minimum 25 feet inside and 50 <br />feet outside. <br />■ Curb Cut: If provided, extend 2 feet beyond on <br />each side of intersecting fire lane. <br />■ Grade (slope): Maximum 5 percent; least <br />grade possible for aerial operation areas. <br />■ Load: Access routes, both on grade and ele- <br />vated, designed for the largest possible appa- <br />ratus load. <br />■ Materials: Design access routes for all-weather <br />use. <br />■ Security Measures: To minimize delays, specify <br />that keys, electronic access cards, or remote <br />access controls are provided to the fire depart- <br />ment. <br />■ Barricades: Use non-destructive gates or posts <br />rather than breakaway bollards. <br />■ Gate Size: At least 2 feet wider than fire lanes. <br />■ Gate Location: At least 30 feet from public <br />right-of-way. <br />■ Gate Swing: Away from direction of fire appa- <br />ratus travel. <br />■ Speed Bumps: Avoid them, or design them for <br />fire apparatus. <br />■ Signage: Provide for no-parking areas, and for <br />load limits. <br />■ Special Apparatus: May require more stringent <br />criteria than above. <br />PREMISES IDENTIFICATION <br />The fire service must be able to rapidly identify and <br />locate a specific building. Address numbers should <br />be placed on the building facing the street or road <br />on which the building is addressed. If the building <br />entry faces a different street, both the street name <br />and the number should be on the address sign. <br />Numbers should be large enough to read from <br />the street or road. If this is not possible due to the <br />location of the building or due to obstructions, <br />additional signs should be provided (Figure 2.11). <br />The IFC specifies that address numbers be a mini- <br />mum of 4 inches high. Some jurisdictions have a <br />higher minimum height requirement, especially for <br />commercial properties. The number should be in <br />Arabic numerals rather than spelled out (for exam- <br />ple, "120" instead of "One Hundred Twenty"). <br />Buildings set back in groups that share common <br />entrances can make quickly locating a specific <br />building and the shortest route to it difficult. On <br />such sites, additional signs with directional arrows <br />and/or diagrams of the buildings and access layout <br />should be posted (Figures 2.12 and 2.13). <br />Whenever possible, signs should be illuminated. <br />In areas subject to snow accumulation, signs should <br />be positioned above anticipated accumulations. <br />See the section Firefighter Access on page 21 <br />for signage to assist the fire service in identifying <br />portions of a building, or interior layouts. <br />A <br />nommomppp- <br />. <br />44 - <br />(Fig. 2.11) Supplemental address sign at the entrance <br />serving this building set far back from the road. <br />1 6 OSHA <br />Occupational Safety and 132 <br />Health Administration <br />