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Thousands of fires occur in residences rescue gear, which may include a breathing EMERGENCYeach year. Many of these fires occur at apparatus. night when the occupants are asleep. The size determined as a minimum for ESCAPE Severe injuries or death can be the escape and rescue is 5.7 square feet of result of these fires if the occupants clear openable area or 5.0 square feet for _ are asleep and unaware the fire is in grade floor openings (see Code for detailed GLlidelin_ progress. Death usually results from informaton). Since windows come all emergency - ' asphyxiation long before the fire reaches shapes, a minimum width dimension was windows ' window the occupants. needed to accommodate tall window shapes : .;, `�• In order to prevent the tragic loss of and a minimum height dimension for wide -.` life the Minnesota State Building Code window shapes. Studies have determined the requires smoke alarm to be installed in minimum net clearwidth needed is 20 inches. n --' dwellings to alert the occupants of a fire. These dimensions are part of the code The code also requires that sleeping requirements and assure the window or door rooms and habitable space in basement will provide for a safe exit or rescue. i' dwelling units have windows or doors, Emergency escape windows and doors must which may be used for emergency be located on the exterior of the building and escape or rescue if the fire has blocked open directly to a yard,street or alley so that the normal, escape routes in the home. the occupants may escape or be rescued Basements pose a special danger since directly from the room to the outside without they usually have only one stairway to having to travel through the building itself. act as a means of escape.This stairway In a fire,time is critical to survival.You may can be easily blocked by fire making not have time to instruct family members escape from the basement impossible. and guests on the proper window operation For this reason the Minnesota Building or to perform complex operations to get the Code requires that if a portion of the window open.The code requires windows basement is habitable space, at least and doors used for emergency escape of one emergency egress window or door is rescue to be readily openable without any provided. special knowledge or effort.The intent is that The size of windows and doors required windows be of the common double-hung, in the code are based on extensive horizontal sliding or casement type.Your local research to determine the proper building inspector will need to be consulted relationships of height and width of to assist you in evaluating special types of window openings to adequately serve for windows. both rescue and escape. Special windows need to be evaluated based People come in all sizes and windows on the difficulty and knowledge needed for come in all shapes.A fireman attempting operating or removing the windows. a rescue will likely be wearing full ` tedb Building Codes and Standards Division 408 Metro Square Building 121 East 7th Place St.Paul,MN 55101-2181 651.296.4639 TTY: 800.627.3529 Fax: 651.297.1973 www.buildingcodes. . • www.mncodes.org BOSD-GIO12 10-04