Multi-agency effort addresses evolving fire department access issues and balances requirements with the needs of pedestrian and bicycle safety.
SILVER SPRING, MD – The Montgomery County Planning Department, part of The Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission (M-NCPPC), collaborated with the Montgomery County Department of Permitting Services (MCDPS), the Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Service (MCFRS) and the Montgomery County Department of Transportation (MCDOT) to produce the Fire Department Access Performance-Based Design Guide. The new guidelines provide alternatives to the design of sidewalks and roadways to meet the county’s Vision Zero goals while still operating within the county’s Fire Code.
Read the guidelines and watch a short video about the effort.
“Anytime we can make streets and sidewalks safer to both pedestrians and first responders is win-win,” said Planning Director Gwen Wright. “This was a great partnership with our other county agencies, and we look forward to continuing this collaborative relationship in the future.”
The design guide was issued by MCDPS and was formally approved in August 2019. It applies to all new community and commercial development and is intended to be a resource to assist engineers, architects, developers, planners, and public agencies in designing communities that are fully accessible by MCFRS while promoting safe intersections and streets that support people that walk, bike and use transit. Existing MCFRS access requirements are not modified by this design guide and can be found in Montgomery County Code Chapter 22.