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 widths raised concerns with emergency service provid- <br />ers. Thus, the most controversial issue facing Oregon's fire <br />departments in the past decade has been street width. Fire <br />departments must move 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- is <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 in 1997 when <br />ORS 92.044 was amended to state that standards for the <br />width of streets established by local governments shall <br />"supersede and prevail over any specifications and standards for <br />roads and streets set forth in a uniform fire code adopted by the <br />State Fire Marshal, a municipal fire department or a county <br />firefighting agency." ORS 92.044 was also amended to estab- <br />lish a consultation. requirement for the local governments to <br />"consider the needs of the fire department or fire fighting agency <br />when adopting the final specifications and standards. " <br />5 <br />0 <br />95 <br />