Chicago Life Safety & High-Rise Ordinance

 

The Chicago Life Safety & High-Rise Ordinance was adopted in 2004 after a series of high-profile fires in commercial and residential high-rise buildings. Primary information on this ordinance can be found on the City of Chicago, Department of Buildings website at this link:  http://bit.ly/2w9pCJ. 

 

Secondary sources of information can be found at various websites of engineers, architects and contractors working to ensure compliance with the ordinance. An article about new high-rise safety ordinances in New York City and Chicago is found at this link:  http://bit.ly/5fU8k.  An article from the National Fire Protection Association appears at this link: http://bit.ly/eNiPo.

 

The Life Safety and High-Rise Ordinance applies to all buildings over eighty feet in height.  It requires all commercial high-rises to be fully sprinklered by the year 2017.  For those buildings not required to have sprinklers, the ordinance requires thorough life safety evaluations using the services of an architect or engineer.  Residential high-rises are also required to install intercom systems (by 2010) which enable the fire department to communicate with individual units.  One-way intercomms are acceptable for buildings with less than 15 stories and 60 units.  These must be installed by 2012.

 

The press release announcing this ordinance and providing a summary can be found at this link: http://bit.ly/nvW10.  A powerpoint presentation from the fire department is available at this link:  http://bit.ly/QG4li.

 

A page of frequently asked questions on the life safety evaluations is available at this link: http://bit.ly/CbRjf.

 

The Chicago Society of Fire Protection Engineers maintains a list of qualified consultants who deal with Life Safety Evaluations.  The list is here at this link:  http://bit.ly/eNiPo.

 

Schirmer Engineering actually developed the Chicago ordinance.  Their website has newsletter archives on topics of fire safety, including an article about the future of tall building fire safety measures.  The website is at this link:  http://www.schirmereng.com.

 

Rolf Jensen & Associates, Inc. is a renowned fire protection consulting firm.  Their website can be found here: http://www.rjainc.com/