Section 187. Egress

1.  Except as provided in paragraph g of subdivision
  three of section one hundred seventy-one, egress from every apartment on
  each story shall be provided as follows:
    a. If a dwelling is two stories or less in height, or if it  is  three
  stories including a basement in height and conforms to the conditions of
  subdivision four of section one hundred seventy-seven, a single means of
  egress from each story to the street shall be sufficient.
    b.  Every  other  dwelling  shall have either two independent means of
  egress or one means of egress equipped with a sprinkler system.
    c. At least one means of egress shall be  a  stair  extending  to  and
  through  the  roof  by  a bulkhead, except that a scuttle may be used in
  lieu of a bulkhead if the dwelling does not exceed a basement and  three
  other  stories  in  height, or if it does not exceed a basement and four
  other stories in height and is occupied by not more than two families on
  any story, and except that no bulkhead or scuttle, or  stair  or  ladder
  leading  thereto, shall be required where the roof is a peak roof with a
  pitch of more than fifteen degrees.
    d. Whenever a second means of egress is required, it shall, except  as
  provided in paragraph f, extend from the entrance story to the roof, and
  shall  be  located  eight  feet  or  more from the first means of egress
  unless separated therefrom by a public hall or elevator vestibule.  Such
  second  means  of  egress  shall be directly accessible at each story to
  each apartment without having to pass through the first means of egress.
    e. A required second means of egress  shall  be  either  a  system  of
  outside  fire-escapes,  constructed  and arranged as provided in section
  fifty-three for fire-escapes erected after  April  eighteenth,  nineteen
  hundred  twenty-nine, a fire-stair, a fire-tower or a connection with an
  adjoining dwelling as provided in paragraph f below.
    f. If the department upon the application of the owner shall  deem  it
  feasible  and  so  permit,  the  owner  shall  provide, and at all times
  maintain unobstructed, a first means of egress extending by means  of  a
  stair from the street through a bulkhead to the roof and thence from the
  roof  of  such dwelling to the roof of an adjoining dwelling and through
  such adjoining dwelling to the street and a second means of egress  from
  each  apartment  to  a  room  on the same story or level in an adjoining
  dwelling by means of a balcony. Every such balcony shall comply with the
  requirements for a fire-escape balcony, except that  its  minimum  clear
  width  shall  be  two  feet  instead  of three feet. If at any time such
  access to  the  street  shall  in  the  opinion  of  the  department  be
  obstructed  or  be  otherwise  unsafe  the  department  shall revoke the
  permit, and upon such revocation the owner  shall  provide  one  of  the
  other types of egress permitted in this section.
    g.  When  the  department  shall  find  it  impractical  to  erect  an
  independent fire-escape and shall refuse to permit egress  by  means  of
  balconies  to  an  adjoining  dwelling,  the  department  may permit the
  erection or use of a fire-escape to which the occupants of such dwelling
  have safe, unobstructed access  in  common  with  the  occupants  of  an
  adjoining dwelling.
    h.  Where  a required means of egress leads to a yard less than thirty
  feet in depth, except as provided in paragraph f of subdivision four  of
  section  one hundred seventy-seven, there shall be access from such yard
  to the street through a court or fireproof passage, or to  the  yard  or
  court  of  adjoining  premises  by a gate or door through an intervening
  fence, or, if the department deems such gate or door  impracticable  and
  so  certifies, by a ladder to the top of an intervening fence or wall or
  by such other means as the department may require.
    2. Where a sprinkler system is required such system shall be  equipped
  on  each  story  with one or more automatic sprinkler heads with fusible

  struts which shall be constructed to fuse at a  temperature  not  higher
  than one hundred sixty-five degrees Fahrenheit and all of which shall be
  constructed,  located and arranged in every stair and entrance hall, and
  in  every closet opening therefrom, in such manner as the department may
  require. Such system may be attached to the city water  supply  main  if
  the  normal minimum pressure thereon, measured in pounds per square inch
  at the street level at the point of connection with said  main,  is  not
  less  than  the  number  of  stories  in  the  height  of  the dwelling,
  multiplied by five, plus fifteen. If such  normal  minimum  pressure  is
  less than the required amount or such system is not attached to the city
  water  supply  main, it shall be supplied with water from a tank located
  on the roof of the dwelling of such capacity  and  construction  as  the
  department   may  deem  necessary.    Such  sprinkler  system  shall  be
  maintained continuously in good repair and serviceable condition.