Areas of Refuge: A Complete Design Guide for Accessible Egress

An area of refuge is a space within or adjacent to a means of egress that provides protection from fire and smoke while occupants await assisted evacuation. The concept developed during the 1980s in response to growing recognition that many building occupants — wheelchair users, persons with mobility impairments, persons with respiratory or cardiac conditions — cannot safely descend stairs during an emergency. IBC Section 1009.6 requires areas of refuge in conjunction with stairs serving stories above or below the level of exit discharge in all new buildings, with an important exception: areas of refuge are not required in buildings equipped throughout with an automatic sprinkler system installed in accordance with NFPA 13 or NFPA 13R. The sprinklered-building exemption has become so prevalent in U.S. design practice that areas of refuge are now most often seen in existing-building upgrades and in occupancies where sprinklering throughout is impractical, such as some historic structures and certain industrial occupancies. Where required, the area of refuge is a code-mandated component of accessible means of egress.

IBC Section 1009.6.2 requires each area of refuge to provide at least one wheelchair space, 30 inches by 48 inches, for each 200 occupants (or fraction thereof) of the area served. So a story with an occupant load of 300 requires two wheelchair spaces in its area of refuge; an occupant load of 600 requires three. The wheelchair spaces must not encroach on the required width of the egress path — refuge in a stair landing, for example, must be in addition to the required stair landing width. The area of refuge must be located within an interior exit stairway, on a smoke-protected exterior balcony, in an exit passageway, in an area separated from the rest of the building by smoke-resistant construction, or in a horizontal exit. Stair landings are the most common location because they leverage existing stair-enclosure protection. The area of refuge must connect by an accessible route to an interior exit stair, an elevator complying with the standby-power requirements of IBC Section 1009.4, or an exit door discharging to the public way.

IBC Section 1009.8 requires a two-way communication system at every area of refuge. The system must provide communication between each refuge location and a central control point — typically the fire command center in high-rise buildings, or the constantly-attended central security location in other buildings. Where the central point is not constantly attended, the system must include an off-site monitoring connection so that calls are answered 24/7. The two-way communication device must be located within the area of refuge, marked with the international symbol of accessibility and identifying signage, and provide both audible and visible signal that the call has been received. The device must operate on the building's emergency power for at least 90 minutes after loss of normal power. Many modern installations use either dedicated emergency telephones connected to a head-end at the fire command center or networked IP-based intercoms with redundant paths. NFPA 72 Section 24.5 sets the detailed performance criteria for these systems.

IBC Section 1009.11 requires multiple signs at every area of refuge. At the refuge itself: signage that identifies the space as an area of refuge, the international symbol of accessibility, and instructions for use in an emergency. At each door providing access to the refuge: identifying signage so occupants approaching the door know what is behind it. At each elevator lobby in buildings with accessible elevators serving as accessible means of egress: signs directing occupants with disabilities to the accessible egress routes. The instructions for use must include the operation of the two-way communication device, the expected sequence of events (wait for fire department or trained staff to assist with evacuation), and the location of additional refuge spaces if multiple are available. Tactile signs complying with ICC A117.1 are required where signage identifies the area or provides directional information. All signage must use the standard high-visibility green-on-white or white-on-green color scheme for safe-condition information.

The area of refuge is only effective if the building's emergency response actually attends to it. The Emergency Action Plan (EAP) for the building must include procedures for monitoring two-way communication calls from areas of refuge, dispatching staff or fire-rescue personnel to assist refuge occupants, and conducting a positive accounting of refuge spaces after the fire department clears the building. In high-rise buildings, the fire command center receives refuge calls and the incident commander assigns refuge response to a dedicated suppression or rescue group. In smaller buildings, the EAP designates specific staff roles — typically a building manager and a designated assistant — who respond to refuge calls and either escort the occupant to safety (if conditions permit) or wait with the occupant for fire department arrival. Drills under NFPA 101 Section 4.7 should include a refuge-response scenario at least annually so the procedure is exercised in addition to documented.

Because the IBC exempts fully sprinklered buildings from the area-of-refuge requirement, most new commercial construction in the United States does not include traditional refuge areas. Instead, accessible egress is provided by the building's sprinklered protection and by accessible elevators that comply with IBC Section 3003 emergency operations. In a sprinklered building with an accessible elevator equipped with standby power, an occupant with mobility limitations can use the elevator during a fire alarm — but only if firefighter intervention or building staff confirm safe conditions. NFPA 101 Section 7.2.12 introduces occupant evacuation elevators, a more advanced version designed specifically for use during fires, that further enhance accessible egress in modern high-rise buildings. Even in sprinklered buildings, building owners often voluntarily designate refuge areas in stair landings and provide two-way communication so that occupants who cannot or choose not to use elevators have a documented alternative. Posted plans should clearly show every designated refuge location, sprinklered exception notwithstanding.

Posted evacuation plans should mark every area of refuge with the NFPA 170 area-of-refuge symbol (a wheelchair-with-shelter glyph) and a label identifying the refuge by floor and stair number — for example 'Area of Refuge — Stair 2 — 3rd Floor.' The route from each accessible space to the nearest refuge should be drawn as a primary or secondary egress path. Two-way communication device locations should be marked. The refuge instructions can be printed on or near the plan, or referenced to a separate posted instruction card adjacent to the plan. Plans posted near elevators should specifically note whether the elevator is rated for emergency use (occupant evacuation elevator, fire fighters' elevator with Phase II operation, or accessible elevator with standby power) and what role it plays in accessible egress. EvacPlan Generator (www.evacplangenerator.com) ships with the standard area-of-refuge icon and supports the labeling and route-drawing patterns needed to show refuge spaces clearly on posted plans, helping building owners satisfy both code requirements and the practical communication need of occupants who depend on those spaces.