City emergency and development staff still opposed to single-stairwell apartment buildings

First responders and development services staff remain opposed to the single-staircase resolution that City Council approved in May, Assistant Fire Chief Tom Vocke told the Public Safety Commission at its meeting Monday afternoon.

Council members supported the change to make construction costs of mid-sized multifamily units more affordable for both developers and tenants.

Vocke said the change would pose several potential safety risks, including difficult evacuations in emergencies, insufficient and aging water infrastructure in residential areas that would impact water flow in the event of a fire, and obstructed emergency medical services.

“One of the things that was cited for the (single stairwell) is saving money and providing more affordable housing,” Vocke said, adding that the changes Austin Fire Department and Emergency Medical Services would want before signing off on a single staircase would likely negate the affordability factor. The changes would include things like wider staircases, reinforced construction in the stairwells and emergency backups for elevators.

“For all those reasons, AFD, along with (Development Services Department) and Austin/Travis County EMS, are standing in opposition to the single stairwell the way it is currently proposed,” Vocke said.

Proponents of the resolution point to Seattle as a successful example of single-stairwell apartments. At the time of its passage in the 1970s, Seattle had “excellent water supply, response times, emergency communications, and fire prevention and enforcement,” according to Vocke’s presentation.

The assistant chief noted that Seattle has one ladder for every 2.7 fire engines, while Austin has one ladder for every 3.8 engines. As well, Seattle’s first-arriving engine arrives within four minutes 76 percent of the time, as opposed to 57 percent of the time in Austin. Vocke also suggested that Seattle’s fire hydrant infrastructure is in better shape than Austin’s.

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