301.519.9237 exdirector@nesaus.org

1.31.20 – KALB –

 In the wake of the tragic high-rise fire in Los Angeles this week, State Fire Marshal Chief H. “Butch” Browning wants to reassure residents and visitors of our state that Louisiana’s life safety code is and has been a leader in proactive protective measures ensuring their protection in similar buildings.

Picture: MGN

“It’s very concerning what’s happened over there where people were trapped in a high-rise building,” said Browning, “But state leaders, long ago, took steps to prevent that same thing from happening here and it’s paid off.”

Here are some facts about Louisiana’s high-rise fire safety requirements:

• In 1990, mandatory high-rise fire sprinkler legislation took effect
• The Act requires all buildings six stories or higher to have sprinkler systems, whether new construction or retrofitted
• A main trigger was the fatal Rault Center fire in New Orleans in 1972
• Shortly after, state lawmakers adopted the state’s Life Safety Code which created a uniform fire code that the State Fire Marshal’s Office (SFM) was tasked with enforcing.
• The state’s Life Safety Code ensures fair, concise and consistent codes in new commercial and modified commercial construction
• Appropriate Life Safety Code requirements are ensured by SFM architects and engineers who review construction plans prior to work beginning, then confirmed by deputies during final inspections before buildings open for business