Calgary Firefighters Advise Caution on Single-Stair Apartments

Calgary’s firefighters union is advocating against the trend of constructing apartment buildings with only one exit stairwell, citing safety concerns amid increasing fire risks. While national building codes require two stairwells for buildings over two storeys, recent changes in B.C. and Edmonton have allowed for single-stair designs. Advocates argue this approach can expedite housing construction and reduce costs, but the Calgary Firefighters Association remains opposed, emphasizing that no alternative solutions can match the safety of two exits. The City of Calgary has not received any single-stair proposals yet but is open to reviewing them, prioritizing fire department input in the process.