Codes and Standards

Death in Chicago high-rise apartment fire blamed on fire code

Jan. 18, 2012

The death of a Chicago woman who stepped off her elevator into a blazing inferno last week has underscored the need for fire sensors in elevators.

The blaze occurred in a 21-story building-one of Chicago's older high-rises-that was not required to meet safety codes established in 1975.

Chicago's city council recently voted to put off until 2015 the deadline for meeting a new ordinance that requires building-wide alarm systems that automatically trigger elevators to descend to the ground floor and shut down during a fire.

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