Fire Lane Striping

 

Commercial parking lots require fire lane striping not only for compliance but also for safety. Fire lanes play a critical role during emergencies by providing fire trucks and other first responders’ vehicles easy access to the scene of an emergency. Fire lane striping marks the designated fire lane so that other vehicles and pedestrians know to avoid it.

Safety Requirements for Fire Lane Striping

Each state has a Fire Code which provides guidelines for fire lane design and striping. The following are the general requirements for fire lane striping in the US:

• The fire lanes should be included in the design of the building for approval by the fire departments.

 

• The fire lanes should adequately be marked on the curb, with red paint and white stenciling reading “FIRE LANE NO PARKING” every 20 feet.

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• The fire lane should be within 150 feet of the entrance of the building it serves.

 

• The minimum width of a fire lane is 20-feet, to give the heavy fire trucks enough room to maneuver.

 

• The overhead clearance on a fire lane should be at least 14 feet.

How Often Should You Restripe Your Fire Lanes?

The fire lanes, along with handicap parking slots, can easily land you into trouble with the law if they are not visible. However, there’s no law dictating how often you should restripe. The typical parking lot will require restriping annually.  
You might need to restripe sooner or later, depending on the following factors:

• Traffic – The more traffic, the faster the degradation of the stripes.

 

• Weather – Heavy precipitation (rainfall and snow) washes off the paint.

 

• Quality of Paint – Quality traffic paint applied at the required thickness of 15 millimeters does not come off quickly.

Benefits of Striping Your Fire Lanes

There are two main benefits of striping fire lanes:

• Fire Code Compliance: State laws require the designation and clear marking of fire lanes on commercial parking lots.
  
  
• Safety: In case of a fire or other emergency, the fire truck or ambulance will have a clear path providing quick access to the entrance of your property.

Can You Park in the Fire Lane?

Parking in a fire lane is illegal, regardless of whether you own the parking lot. Even using it as an unloading zone is against the law.

If a police officer or fire marshal catches you using the fire lane, they will issue you a citation. In most states, the maximum penalty for obstructing the fire lane is $150. The fine is also applicable for allowing the illegal parking of a vehicle or any other obstruction on the fire lane.

If you own a parking lot, you have to follow all the rules related to fire lane striping. There are slight deviations in these requirements from state-to-state. However, an experienced local parking lot striping company will know all the requirements, saving you the trouble of having to master the fire lane striping requirements.

Parking Lot Striping Lafayette
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