Our client owns an eight unit apartment complex in downtown Oakland and had been told by the Oakland Fire Department that he needed updated evacuation maps that complied with local fire codes. Initially, he had planned to manage the approval aspects of the project himself but upon learning that SignWorks was very familiar with this process, commissioned us to manage the approval process as well.
The Oakland Fire Department requires that the map area of the evacuation sign be at 144” square inches. Therefore the text and symbol additions result in the signs overall dimensions becoming 14” by 14”. The fire code also calls for a non-glare acrylic lens over the map so that during a fire the sign is readable when a flash light or helmet mounted lamp is shone onto it. Other compliance features include acceptable contrast between the background and detail in the map, as well as the correct legend, text and use of symbols. It is also critical that the map be correctly oriented so that in the blaze of a fire, the exit route is clearly delineated.
In this case the project began with a detailed site survey to identify where the exits were, locate the pull stations, alarms, stairs, etc., so that these details could be accurately reflected on the map. Once the owner approved the map detail we took two full sized copies and one smaller one to the fire department for approval. Minor edits from the fire department were integrated into the drawings and fabrication (vinyl prints) were done. These prints were then mounted to the non-glare acrylic using an optically clear sheeting material. The final step was to apply a backer and head to the location to mount each of the eight evacuation maps.
SignWorks, Inc, Hayward, CA has designed, produced and installed lots of evacuation maps for clients in and around Oakland, as well as others in San Francisco and Palo Alto where the guidelines are different. Let us supply the expertise you need for your next evacuation map project, whether it’s just design and printing or includes managing the approval process with the Fire Marshall. Give us a call at (510) 357-2000 or visit our website to peruse some of our project photos and learn more about our work.