To the editor: Reporter Noah Goldberg offers a balanced information account (“Two stairways are required in L.A. residences. What does that need to do with the housing disaster?” Aug. 29) of the L. A. Metropolis Council’s choice by a 13-1 vote to draft an ordinance to switch town’s constructing code to allow new residence buildings of as much as six tales to have just one staircase (at the moment, the code requires two staircases for buildings over three tales). I congratulate and thank Councilwoman Traci Park for her opposition to the proposed ordinance.
This can be a harmful concept. Within the curiosity of expediting extra housing, this proposal, if handed, would threat the lives of the boys, ladies and kids who’re within the buildings. Additionally, it places at higher threat our courageous firefighters, law enforcement officials and paramedics who’re attempting to go up a constructing’s solely staircase whereas the civilians within the constructing are attempting to go down. One different concern — earthquakes. Situation: The one stairway collapses and a fireplace begins, or the fuel is launched. Would you need to be on the fourth flooring? Would you desire a member of the family or pal or anybody else to be caught in that state of affairs? Clearly, a second stairway will increase the probabilities that individuals can get safely out of the constructing and that firefighters can higher assault the fires and/or fuel leak and rescue folks.
I urge the council to reject this dangerous, life-threatening proposal.
Rick Tuttle, Culver Metropolis
