Fire Lane Striping, Signs, and Requirements Charleston
Fire lanes are specifically designated areas of your parking lot to allow for the quick access of fire trucks and other emergency vehicles to quickly enter your property and assist in the event of an emergency. Fire lanes are not intended for normal vehicle traffic, and no parking is allowed in a fire lane except by an emergency vehicle. There are specific striping requirements that must be met when striping the fire lane in your parking lot.
Quick Facts About Fire Lanes:Can You Park In A Fire Lane?
The fire lanes are clearly marked as "Fire Lane No Parking", and parking in a fire lane is illegal. Even though parking in a fire lane is against the law, you will still find many patrons illegally park in the fire lane, or use it as a loading zone. You will also see vehicles using the fire lane as a special waiting area while waiting for their friends and family to exit the building. If a police officer or the fire marshal happen to see your car parked in the fire lane for any reason, they can and should issue you a citation. How Wide Does A Fire Lane Need To Be? The roads or parking area designated as fire lanes shall have an unobstructed width of no less than 20 feet and an unobstructed vertical clearance of no less than 13 feet 6 inches. Exception: The fire marshal shall have the authority to modify the fire code to approve a decrease in the minimum access width where necessary. How Much Is A Fire Lane Ticket? Break the law by parking or obstructing a fire lane can land you a fine of approximately $150.00 As defined, the maximum penalty for parking a vehicle in, allowing the parking of a vehicle in, obstructing, or allowing the obstruction of a designated fire lane, shall be not more than a fine of $150.00. Keep in mind that each day or part of a day during which the unlawful act or violation occurs shall constitute a separate offense. What Is The Purpose Of A Fire Lane? Fire Lanes have a specific purpose to provide clear access for emergency vehicles to your property. It is illegal for non-emergency vehicles to park in or obstruct a fire lane. Don’t risk receiving a fine for obstructing a fire lane area. Do Fire Lanes Have To Be Marked? Fire lanes in front of commercial buildings may have red paint to mark the fire lane. The curb should be painted red with the words "No Parking, Fire Lane" painted in white. The fire lanes should be laid out and striped in accordance with specific local laws though here we are going to discuss only some basic and general requirements. The laws are based on the Fire Code, one for all the states. Before the construction of the building is starting and fire lanes are installed, they should be approved by the Fire Department. If the parking lot has no fire lane, it cannot be considered appropriate for use.
Fire Lane Signs For Your Parking LotFire lane signs are necessary to indicate the fire lane for the patrons. The fire lanes should be clearly marked with the proper stenciling and signage. The most important requirement of the fire lane is that it should be kept clear of parked or standing cars so that firefighters have no obstacles in the event of an emergency. Besides fire lane striping, No Parking Fire Lane Signage can be installed. Fire Lane signs are as important as the fire lane but they are not obligatory. If the authorized representative decide that a fire lane is designated insufficiently, signs might solve a problem. These signs show the exact boundary of the fire lane in the horizontal plane. Also, reflective No Parking Fire Lane signs are visible at night which is highly important for garages and underground parking lots.
No Parking Fire Lane - Safety For Your PatronsTo some extent, a parking lot is the face of the business. If the parking lot is clean, well-maintained and marked properly, your partners and customers understand that they are safe. When a fire occurs, the parking lot might be a highly dangerous place. A commercial or a public entity that has a parking lot is required to install fire lane and signage which help to guide emergency cars. Remember that any other vehicles are not allowed to park in the fire lane as they will be charged a fee.
What Is A Fire LaneFire lane looks a bit different from other parking lines being a signage of higher importance. It actually is not a single line but two parallel marked stripes with a stencil. Here is some fire lane striping detail. Fire lanes can be installed whether on concrete or asphalt surface which should be able to support the weight of the 60 thousand pound vehicles. When talking about fire lane striping, it is more difficult than typical as it is applied to the curb along the entire length of the fire lane. Here, color plays no less important role. Fire stripes are 6 inch wide lines painted red with 4-inch white letters stating "No Parking, Fire Lane". Fire Lane Signs are painted white with red letters. Applying No Parking Fire Lane Stencil is additional and requires putting a lot of efforts. To look clean and neat, the parking lane should be painted with the use of the latest technologies and equipment. One more thing to mention is to paint. Parking lot maintenance companies usually apply either water-, oil- or latex-based paints. Each of them has its own pros and cons though the last one is the best option when talking about the durability of the material.
In order to comply with parking policies, parking lot owners are obliged to follow the regulations related to fire lane striping. The fire lane is aimed at providing access to emergency vehicles and divides them from other cars and pedestrians. Fire lane signs and striping might have some peculiarities and deviations in particular states although the most general of them are included in the Fire Code. CALL TODAY FOR A FREE QUOTE!
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