Firefighting Shafts - General Requirements

In low rise buildings without deep basements fire and rescue personnel access requirements will be met by a combination of the normal means of escape in the building and the measures for vehicle access in accordance with paragraphs 6.19 and 6.20. In other buildings including high rise buildings and those with deep basements the problems of reaching the fire and working inside the building near the fire, necessitate the provision of additional facilities to avoid delay and to provide a sufficiently secure operating base to allow effective action to be taken. These additional facilities include firefighting lifts, firefighting stairs and firefighting lobbies which are combined in a protected shaft known as a firefighting shaft.