Fire Protection Design Manual - Office of Construction and Facilities ...

September-2011
Doors that are located in the means of egress and are permitted to be locked under
other provisions of this chapter shall have provisions made for the rapid removal of
occupants by means such as the follows:
Option A. Remote control of locks
Option B. Keying of all locks to keys carried by staff at all times
Option C. Other such reliable means available to the staff at all times.
VA Clarification for Options A, B, and C above:
For Option (A): The locked doors are required to be in the line of sight of the
location of the remote operator.
For Option (B): Self evident
For Option (C): Card access security systems may be used provided that a
mechanical key release is provided such that when the key is operated, it will directly
interrupt the power to the locking mechanism independent of the card access system
electronics and staff in the area carry keys at all times.
3) Means of egress where patient special needs require specialized protective measures
(18/19.2.2.2.5.2)
Note: This locking permission was added in the 2009 edition of the Life Safety Code
especially for pediatric wards. Pediatric wards were being locked to prevent babies from
being stolen and the locking was not truly for the clinical needs of the patients. The use of
section 18/19.2.2.2.5.2 should rarely be used in the VA since the doors could be locked under
the less stringent requirements for clinical reasons on 18/19.2.2.2.5.1.
Addition criteria from NFPA 101 as follows {(1) through (5)(b) copied verbatim} is
required to use this arrangement.
(1) Staff can readily unlock doors at all times in accordance with 18/19.2.2.2.6.
(2) A total (complete) smoke detection system is provided throughout the locked
space in accordance with 9.6.2.9, or locked doors can be remotely unlocked at an
approved, constantly attended location within the locked space.
(3)The building is protected throughout by an approved, supervised automatic
sprinkler system in accordance with 18/19.3.5.1.
(4) The locks are electrical locks that fail safely so as to release upon loss of power to
the device.
(5) The locks release by independent activation of each of the following:
(a) Activation of the smoke detection system required by 18/19.2.2.2.5.2(2)
(b) Waterflow in the automatic sprinkler system required by 18/19.2.2.2.5.2(3)
Where the permission to lock doors in accordance with NFPA 101, 18/19.2.2.2.5.2 is
used, NFPA 101, 18/19.2.2.2.6 requires the following:
Doors that are located in the means of egress and are permitted to be locked under
other provisions of this chapter shall have provisions made for the rapid removal of
occupants by means such as the follows:
Option A. Remote control of locks
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