N.Y. Multiple Dwelling Law § 187: Egress

§ 187. Egress. 1. Except as provided in paragraph g of subdivision

three of section one hundred seventy-one, egress from every apartment on

each story shall be provided as follows:

a. If a dwelling is two stories or less in height, or if it is three

stories including a basement in height and conforms to the conditions of

subdivision four of section one hundred seventy-seven, a single means of

egress from each story to the street shall be sufficient.

b. Every other dwelling shall have either two independent means of

egress or one means of egress equipped with a sprinkler system.

c. At least one means of egress shall be a stair extending to and

through the roof by a bulkhead, except that a scuttle may be used in

lieu of a bulkhead if the dwelling does not exceed a basement and three

other stories in height, or if it does not exceed a basement and four

other stories in height and is occupied by not more than two families on

any story, and except that no bulkhead or scuttle, or stair or ladder

leading thereto, shall be required where the roof is a peak roof with a

pitch of more than fifteen degrees.

d. Whenever a second means of egress is required, it shall, except as

provided in paragraph f, extend from the entrance story to the roof, and

shall be located eight feet or more from the first means of egress

unless separated therefrom by a public hall or elevator vestibule. Such

second means of egress shall be directly accessible at each story to

each apartment without having to pass through the first means of egress.

e. A required second means of egress shall be either a system of

outside fire-escapes, constructed and arranged as provided in section

fifty-three for fire-escapes erected after April eighteenth, nineteen

hundred twenty-nine, a fire-stair, a fire-tower or a connection with an

adjoining dwelling as provided in paragraph f below.

f. If the department upon the application of the owner shall deem it

feasible and so permit, the owner shall provide, and at all times

maintain unobstructed, a first means of egress extending by means of a

stair from the street through a bulkhead to the roof and thence from the

roof of such dwelling to the roof of an adjoining dwelling and through

such adjoining dwelling to the street and a second means of egress from

each apartment to a room on the same story or level in an adjoining

dwelling by means of a balcony. Every such balcony shall comply with the

requirements for a fire-escape balcony, except that its minimum clear

width shall be two feet instead of three feet. If at any time such

access to the street shall in the opinion of the department be

obstructed or be otherwise unsafe the department shall revoke the

permit, and upon such revocation the owner shall provide one of the

other types of egress permitted in this section.

g. When the department shall find it impractical to erect an

independent fire-escape and shall refuse to permit egress by means of

balconies to an adjoining dwelling, the department may permit the

erection or use of a fire-escape to which the occupants of such dwelling

have safe, unobstructed access in common with the occupants of an

adjoining dwelling.

h. Where a required means of egress leads to a yard less than thirty

feet in depth, except as provided in paragraph f of subdivision four of

section one hundred seventy-seven, there shall be access from such yard

to the street through a court or fireproof passage, or to the yard or

court of adjoining premises by a gate or door through an intervening

fence, or, if the department deems such gate or door impracticable and

so certifies, by a ladder to the top of an intervening fence or wall or

by such other means as the department may require.

2. Where a sprinkler system is required such system shall be equipped

on each story with one or more automatic sprinkler heads with fusible

struts which shall be constructed to fuse at a temperature not higher

than one hundred sixty-five degrees Fahrenheit and all of which shall be

constructed, located and arranged in every stair and entrance hall, and

in every closet opening therefrom, in such manner as the department may

require. Such system may be attached to the city water supply main if

the normal minimum pressure thereon, measured in pounds per square inch

at the street level at the point of connection with said main, is not

less than the number of stories in the height of the dwelling,

multiplied by five, plus fifteen. If such normal minimum pressure is

less than the required amount or such system is not attached to the city

water supply main, it shall be supplied with water from a tank located

on the roof of the dwelling of such capacity and construction as the

department may deem necessary. Such sprinkler system shall be

maintained continuously in good repair and serviceable condition.