Counterbalanced Fire Escape Stairs Explained
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HMCounterbalanced Fire Escape Stairs Explained
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HMFire Escapes: Counterbalanced Stairways
Article and photos by Gregory Havel
August 24, 2009
Although some fire escapes have a bottom stair section that is fixed and that leads
directly to ground level, they are uncommon. Most fire escapes have a bottom section
that is normally raised to keep out unwanted visitors; building occupants can lower it to
the ground from the bottom balcony in case of fire. These swinging or counterbalanced
stairways are discussed in detail in National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 101, Life
Safety Code, 2009 edition, in Chapter [Link] (Means of Egress: Components: Fire
Escape Stairs: Swinging Stairs).
The counterbalanced stairway is a
common method used to protect building
occupants from unwanted visitors coming
up the fire escape. Photo 1 shows the
most common variety. The balconies for
each floor are attached to the wall. The
stairway between floors is connected to
the balconies. The counterbalanced
stairway is attached by a pivot to a short
section of stairway below the lowest
balcony, with counterweights attached to
extensions of the stairway stringers above
the pivot. When it is used, the weight of a
person several steps down the
counterbalanced stairway tips the stairway
down until the bottom rests on the
sidewalk. When the last person steps off,
the stairway will swing back up to its
normal position, unless it is equipped with
a latch to hold it in the lowered position. If
the stairway does not latch in the lowered
position, the rising stairway may strike and
injure the last person who descended, as
well as bystanders.
Photo 1 also shows two common obstructions on fire escapes: potted plants and air
conditioners in the windows.
Fire Engineering, August 24, 2009
Photo 2 shows another type of
counterbalanced stairway. Instead of
counterweights attached to the stairway
stringers above the pivot, the
counterweight is attached to a cable which
runs up over a pair of pulleys on a bracket
high on the wall, and down to a yoke that
should be connected to the bottom of the
stairway. In photo 2, the counterweight
and its cable are visible against the wall
just below the bottom of the raised
stairway; and the yoke is visible above but
disconnected from the bottom of the
stairway. As originally built, it would work in the same manner as the stairway shown in
photo 1. However, this stairway has had the white cable added, running from the bottom
of the stairway and over the edge of the roof, crushing the rain gutter. It is inoperable in
this condition, and will give building occupants a false sense of security.
The type of stairway shown in photo 2, with cable and counterweight, is no longer
permitted by NFPA 101—2009, [Link].7; although some of this type are still in place.
This type of stairway has too many moving parts, such as the long steel cables, that can
rust and fail.
The addition of a counterbalanced stairway adds critical items to the fire escape
maintenance schedule. The counterweights and their connections, either to the stringers
of the stairway or by cable and sheave to the bottom of the stairway and the top of the
wall, must be maintained. The most critical item on one of these stairways is the pair of
pivots at the top. They must be kept free of rust, and some must be greased regularly so
that the pivot bearings will not seize. If the stairway is used while the pivot bearings are
seized, either the stairway will not work at all, or the stairway may break at its seized
pivots and collapse to the sidewalk.
Maintenance of fire escapes on the buildings in our response areas should be an item
on the checklist for company-level and bureau-level fire inspections; and their condition
should be noted on prefire plans for each building.
Storage below a counterbalanced stairway such as bicycle racks, garbage cans,
dumpsters, or recycling bins creates additional hazards. If the stairway cannot be
lowered completely to the sidewalk, building occupants may have to jump off; and
occupants may slip and fall from the stairway since the stair treads will be level only if
the stairway is lowered completely. These are in addition to the obvious hazard of
combustibles stored below a fire escape.
For detailed information on hazards to firefighters using fire escapes, see Chapter 15,
“The Dangers of Fire Escapes” in Chief Vincent Dunn’s Safety and Survival on the
Fireground (Fire Engineering Books, 1992).
Fire Engineering, August 24, 2009
Gregory Havel is a member of the Burlington (WI) Fire Department; a retired deputy
chief and training officer; and a 30-year veteran of the fire service. He is a Wisconsin-
certified fire instructor II and fire officer II, an adjunct instructor in fire service programs at
Gateway Technical College, and safety director for Scherrer Construction Co., Inc. Havel
has a bachelor's degree from St. Norbert College; has more than 30 years of experience
in facilities management and building construction; and has presented classes at FDIC.
