• information). Although cited as models of livable communi- <br />ties, the narrow street widths included in these developments <br />are not allowed in many of Oregon s cities, often because of <br />concerns about emergency service access. <br />Emergency Response.- The movement to reduce street stan- <br />dard-`-widthsrased'coriceins withemergency service provid- <br />ers:: Thus,: then ost'controversial:issue facing Oregon s fire <br />departments`m- the past decade Yias.been street width. Fire <br />departments_iriust:in Ve.large trucks, on average, 10 feet <br />wide mirror-to=mirror.` <br />Response times can be slowed depending upon the amount <br />of on-street parking and traffic encountered. Narrow streets <br />lined with parked cars may not provide adequate space for <br />firefighters to access and use their equipment once they have <br />reached the scene of an emergency. In addition, emergency. <br />vehicle access can be completely blocked on streets that <br />provide less than 10 feet of clear travel width. <br />Authority to Establish Standards. Prior to 1997, there had <br />been some confusion over who had the authority to establish <br />• street standards. Oregon's land use laws grant local govern- <br />ments the authority to establish local subdivision standards, <br />which include street widths (ORS 92.044). However, the <br />Uniform Fire Code, which was adopted by the State Fire <br />Marshal and is used by many local governments to establish <br />standards for the prevention of and protection from fires, <br />includes standards which affect the width and design of <br />streets. The Uniform Fire Code is published by the Western <br />Fire Chiefs and the International Congress of Building Offi- <br />cials as partners. <br />This question of authority,_was"clarified m-1997 when <br />ORS 92 044 was.amended to state that standards for the <br />width_of-streets estabhshed by locial'goverriinents shall <br />"supersede and prevail over;any,specificdions and standards for <br />roads and streets set forth in a un.iforrri fire code adopted by the <br />State Fire Marshal,-a municipal fire department or a.county. <br />firefigfihng agency ORS .92.044'was also amended to estab- <br />lish a.constiltatioii requiremeI ` the local-governments to <br />;''consider the,needsof the fire department or fire-fighting agency <br />when adopting the final. specifications and standards. <br />5 <br />95 <br />215 <br />