Fire Escape Inspection, Repair and Certification
Structural engineering topic
Fire Escape Inspection, Repair and Certification
Inspection, repair design, load testing and the City of Portland Fire Escape Affidavit, for building owners and property managers.
Expertise team · Fire Escape Evaluations
Talk to Andrew Leichty
Leads the team · direct line
Topic Overview
The Problem
What brings clients to us for Fire Escape Inspection, Repair and Certification
Signs you need a fire escape evaluation:
- Official requests - Your required recertification is due, or the City, Fire Marshal or your insurance provider has requested an evaluation.
- Visible physical deterioration - You notice rust, loose or missing bolts, or cracks near wall connection points.
- Safety reports - A tenant, inspector, or contractor has raised concerns about structural stability or damage.
Fire escapes are critical life-safety exits, commonly found on older buildings. Decades of exposure to weather can severely degrade the framing and its anchor connections. A structural evaluation helps to determine whether your fire escape can safely support emergency loads and outlines the steps needed to keep it compliant and safe.
How It's Approached
What an engineer does, and what's involved
Miller Consulting Engineers has a dedicated team of licensed engineers and structural designers providing fire escape inspections, detailing fire escape repairs, and specifying fire escape load tests. In Portland fire escapes need to be certified by a licensed professional every five years.
No two fire escapes are alike. Many were installed decades ago, and years of exposure to the elements can take a toll on their structural integrity. An engineering evaluation examines how the fire escape is anchored to the building, the condition of its steel components, and other factors that affect its safety and stability. Following the evaluation, we provide a clear assessment of the fire escape’s condition and identify any repairs needed to address deficiencies and achieve code compliance.
- Comprehensive Inspection - An engineer visits and observes each fire escape: stairs, landings, ladders, railings, and the anchors into the building
- Structural Analysis - We analyze suspect or degraded components to calculate the available load capacity and safety margins
- Repair Engineering - If deficiencies are found, we set out the repairs, either in a letter with recommendations or in stamped structural drawings that define how and where the repairs are to be made, ready for contractor pricing and construction.
- Load Test Coordination - We define the load testing requirements and oversee performance of fire escape testing by a testing company.
- Official Certification - Once testing and repairs are complete, we provide the signed and stamped City of Portland Fire Escape Affidavit.
- Permit - The stamped engineering and drawings are submitted for permitting to the jurisdiction.
What You Receive
What you receive from us
- A record of what we observed on each fire escape, and the deficiencies found (if any);
- Repair recommendations, in a letter or in stamped repair drawings that a contractor can price and build;
- Load-testing requirements for the testing company;
- The executed City of Portland Fire Escape Affidavit, after a successful test.
Who Does What
What we do, and what others do
Miller Consulting Engineers
We evaluate each fire escape, design any repairs, set the load-testing requirements, and execute the City of Portland Fire Escape Affidavit after a successful test.
Building owner or property manager
Arranges access to the building, chooses the contractor and the testing company, and keeps the certification current.
Contractor
Makes the repairs set out in our repair letter or stamped drawings. (Our engineers don't do the physical repair work, so you can use the contractor you prefer or complete the work yourself, if applicable.)
Testing company
Carries out the load test to engineer's specifications.
Questions People Ask
Common questions about Fire Escape Inspection, Repair and Certification
Can you certify a fire escape in Portland?
Yes. Once any repairs are complete and the load test has passed, we execute the City of Portland Fire Escape Affidavit.
Do you test fire escapes yourselves?
No. We write the load-testing requirements, and a testing company carries out the test.
What if the evaluation finds problems?
If problems are identified, we draw up the repairs, your contractor makes the repairs, and the load test follows before certification.
Do you do the repairs?
No. We design the repairs, and your contractor completes them to our repair letter or stamped drawings. The choice of contractor stays with you.
Can you evaluate a fire escape before we buy a building?
Yes. An evaluation tells you the condition of each fire escape and what repairs are likely, before you commit.
What is the fire escape certification process?
Our certifications are modeled on the City of Portland requirements (FIR 2.08).
1. We perform an on-site visual evaluation of the fire escape.
2. We create engineering calculations and drawings. The drawings come in two parts:
(a) Structural fire escape repairs
(b) Fire escape load testing
3. The stamped engineering calculations and drawings need to be permitted with the jurisdiction.
4. A hired contractor implements the fire escape repairs while the permit is being processed. (Some repairs are simple and can be performed by in-house maintenance personnel.)
5. Once the permit has been issued, an independent testing agency performs the load tests specified in the drawings.
6. If the fire escape passes the requirements for load testing, we can provide the appropriate paperwork to certify the fire escape.
7. Repairs are necessary if the fire escape does not pass the load testing. Additional load tests may be required based on the failure mechanism.
What is the fire escape recertification process?
If the fire escape had load testing performed in the previous five years and documentation of the previous certification is available, the structural engineer may elect to waive load testing if the fire escape does not require significant structural repairs.
