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<p>WILKES-BARRE &#8212; A building inspector confirmed City Administrator Rick Gazenski&#8217;s suspicion that the outside fire escape on City Hall is unsafe and should not be used in an emergency.</p><p>What&#8217;s done with the metal stairs, railings and landings is something city officials have to discuss further, Gazenski said Friday.</p><p>However, a decision might have to be made sooner rather than later, given the condition of the fire escape attached to the brick exterior of the four story building that was built in the late 1890s.</p><p>In his report prepared at the request of the city after reviewing the fire escape, Jason Humenanski, a certified building inspector with BHW Construction Consultation Services Inc. in Plains Township, said it cannot support the weight a lot of people on it and the two internal stairwells are safer to use.</p><p>&#8220;I certainly do not want anyone on that fire escape,&#8221; Humenanski said. &#8220;The steel has deteriorated and is crumbling. In my opinion, if it is not taken down, it will come down on its own in due time. &#8221;</p><p>The cost to remove the fire escape came up in previous discussions and it&#8217;s estimated at anywhere from $10,000 to $12,000, Gazenski said.</p><p>A former insurance executive, Gazenski said that after a recent safety meeting he ordered signs on the windows warning people not to use the fire escape and for the city to look into what to do with it.</p><p>&#8220;From an insurance standpoint that&#8217;s why I did what I did,&#8221; Gazenski said. He said that he asked Butch Frati, the city&#8217;s director of operations, to research the matter. &#8220;This is what takes time,&#8221; Gazenski added.</p><p>The building is safe, Gazenski said, and the report recommended modifications be made to prevent smoke traveling up the stairwells in the event of fire on the first floor.</p><p>Humenanski said the company previously did an &#8220;occupant load calculation&#8221; using the 2009 International Building Code and determined the interior stairwells &#8220;were sized sufficiently to accommodate the number of occupants that would need to use those stairs to escape.&#8221;</p><p>But in April, the state adopted 2015 International Code Series, and Humenanski said his inquired about compliance for the fire escape. He said he was informed the exterior fire escape can either be replaced or removed. The only factor the city would have to consider was taking steps to contain smoke from rising to the upper floors because the newer code allows for three stories to &#8220;communicate with a stairwell&#8221; and City Hall has four.</p><p>&#8220;This can most likely be accomplished with a glass enclosure, or maybe consider some sort of mechanical equipment that would manage the smoke in that situation,&#8221; Humenanski said.</p><p>Gazenski compared the enclosure to the flood gates designed to hold back rising water and said he would recommend them on each floor.</p><style>
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<div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/web1_TTL080219fire-escape1-1.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Signs have been placed in Wilkes-Barre City Hall warning people not to use the fire escape.  </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/web1_TTL080219fire-escape1-1.jpg</photo0><caption0>Signs have been placed in Wilkes-Barre City Hall warning people not to use the fire escape.  </caption0><photoCredit0>Aimee Dilger | Times Leader </photoCredit0></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/web1_TTL080219fire-escape2-1.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">A certified building inspector said the exterior fire escape at Wilkes-Barre City Hall is unsafe and the interior stairs should be used in an emergency. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo1>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/web1_TTL080219fire-escape2-1.jpg</photo1><caption1>A certified building inspector said the exterior fire escape at Wilkes-Barre City Hall is unsafe and the interior stairs should be used in an emergency. </caption1><photoCredit1>Aimee Dilger | Times Leader </photoCredit1></div></div>
<div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>By Jerry Lynott</p><p>jlynott@www.timesleader.com</p></bylineMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><shirttailMeta><p>Reach Jerry Lynott at 570-991-6120 or on Twitter @TLJerryLynott.</p></shirttailMeta></div>

Report confirms Wilkes-Barre City Hall fire escape unsafe, city to decide next step