Chap. 444.—An ACT to amend and re-enact section 3141 of the Code of Vir-
ginia, relating to fire escapes. [H B 312]

Approved March 27, 1930

1. Be it enacted by the general assembly of Virginia, That section
thirty-one hundred and forty-one of the Code of Virginia, be amended
and re-enacted so as to read as follows:

Section 3141.—_Fire escapes from buildings.—It shall be the dutv of
the owner or owners, of every factory, workshop, mill, saw-mill or
place where the manufacture of goods of any kind is carried on, and
of every hotel, college, hospital, orphan asylum, mercantile establish-
ment and office building of over three stories in height, or where as
many as ten persons are regularly employed, lodged, entertained or
instructed above the second story of such building, and theatres and
public places of amusement, regardless of height, and of every school
building having an auditorium above the first floor, to provide for the
safe exit of the occupants thereof in case of fire by the erection, con-
struction or maintenance in good condition of fire escapes of the most
improved modern design. The character and design of said fire es-
capes shall, in cities and towns, be selected by the council of said cities
and towns; and where the buildings are not located in cities or towns
by the board of supervisors of the county. But in case of any city,
town, or county which has not made such selection, the commissioner
of labor shall give sixty days’ notice to the mayor of such city or
town, or the chairman of the board of supervisors of such county, of
his intention to prescribe adequate fire escapes for such city or town
or county; and if, at the expiration of said sixty days, council of such
city or town, or the board of supervisors of such county has failed to
adopt proper regulations by ordinance, legal order or otherwise gov-
erning the erection of said fire escapes, then the commissioner of labor
shall proceed to prescribe and publish regulations governing the erec-
tion, character and design of adequate fire escapes for such city, town,
or county, which regulations shall have the same force and effect as
if adopted by the council of such city or town, or board of supervisors
of such county. Nothing in this section shall be construed to compel
the owners of any such buildings whose fire escapes have been approved
by the council of any city or town, or the board of supervisors of any
county, to change the character and design of their fire escapes should
the said council or the said board of supervisors select a different
character and design of fire escapes, unless it shall appear that such
fire escapes are inadequate. This section shall not apply to cities having
a board or committee of public safety.

Any owner or owners of such buildings, who shall violate the pro-
visions of this section shall be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor. and
upon conviction shall be fined not less than twenty-nve douars nor
more than one hundred dollars for each month they shall fail to pro-
vide such fire escapes.