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Power Failure Emergency Lights for Apartment/Condo Buildings: Light That Comes on When Power Goes Out

A blackout in New York City can be more than a nuisance. If you own or manage an apartment or condominium building, loss of power means tenants could be without lights. An outage leaves your building unsafe and you may be at risk for legal consequences if someone gets hurt. Here’s what you need to know about power failure emergency lights to protect your building occupants — and you as well.

New York City Building Code Requirements

Code Summary

Power failures can happen for a variety of reasons, including power station malfunction, system overload in hot weather, storms, fires, and accidents that affect power infrastructure, like a truck hitting a pole supporting electrical lines. The New York City Building Code dictates that many types of buildings have emergency backup power systems in case the electricity fails in the entire city, specific neighborhoods, or individual buildings.

These provisions apply to buildings such as:

• High-rise apartment and office buildings
• Buildings over three stories in height
• Buildings with elevators
• Buildings with 12 or more residential units
• Places of public assembly
• Shopping malls
• Correctional institutions

While the code has many rules for different scenarios, one of the most important for apartments and condos is that emergency backup systems must be in place for fire protection and emergency lighting. This follows the code set by the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA).

Importance of Code Adherence

Following the code for emergency lighting is vital for numerous reasons. You don’t want tenants falling or sustaining injuries because they can’t see if the power goes out. And if you need to evacuate the building, occupants need to see their way to an exit. A well-lit building also assists firefighters and first responders in an emergency.

Furthermore, failure to follow the code can result in fire department inspection failure. This can result in fines and lost time in correcting the problem and arranging for a re-inspection.

Backup Power Systems

Emergency Power Systems

There are different types of backup power systems that your building may use. Emergency power systems provide power automatically in 10 seconds or less after a loss of regular power. They must be separate from all other systems. Emergency power systems fuel:

• Fire alarm systems
• Egress lighting
• Smoke evacuation
• Fire pumps
• Life support systems
• Voice/alarm communications
• Elevator elements

Standby Power Systems (Legally Required)

Standby power systems must come on within 60 seconds of power loss in certain types of facilities for specific functions, including facilitating egress and aiding firefighters. They do not need to be fully separate systems.

Optional Standby Power Systems

These systems offer additional backup to systems an owner or manager might not want to be without during a power loss, like data security, communications, or simply components that make life more comfortable in a blackout, such as appliances. They can engage manually or automatically and may share elements with legally required standby power.

Emergency Lighting

Lighting Requirements and Placement

Each borough of New York City has its own regulations for how much illumination your emergency lighting has to provide, but it must be at least 22 lux. Emergency lighting must also be in an enclosure that’s able to withstand fire for at least two hours, so it will need to be made of steel or cast aluminum, not plastic.

Egress lighting must illuminate pathways in the following areas of your building:

• Hallways and other interior routes
• Interior stairways leading to an exit
• Exterior exit stairways
• Horizontal exits
• Places where the disabled could await rescue or take refuge
• Platform lifts
• Elevators
• Ramps
• Endpoints for exits (discharge)
• Outdoor accessible routes

There can be no gaps in the illumination pathway, so lights need to be placed such that they provide continuous light along the route.

Emergency Exit Signs

Don’t forget that emergency exit signs are part of your power failure plan too. These are as strictly regulated as emergency lights and help building occupants know which way to go in corridors and stairways. They work in concert with emergency lights to provide a complete pathway to safety.

Prepare for a Power Failure in Your Building

Are you prepared for a power failure in your building? You might want a professional evaluation of your apartment or condo property if you:

• Have an imminent fire department inspection
• Recently purchased the property
• Are renovating a property
• Have failed a recent inspection
• Aren’t sure if your power failure emergency lights are sufficient
• Want to upgrade your emergency systems

Bolt Electric, a division of Omnia Mechanical Group, is here to help you with your emergency power systems and power failure emergency lights. Don’t wait until you have a failed inspection to get the assistance you need. Give us a call or reach out online to schedule an appointment, and we’ll make sure your building is safe for tenants and meets New York City code requirements.