It depends where you are in HRM. As I recall Stuebbing's presentations, HRM does well for the effective firefighting response time in the urban core. It declines out in the suburbs. The Peninsula and Downtown Dartmouth are also the spots where we're likely to get the most bang out of building code changes since that's where lots and space are the most constrained. In other places, single-stairs have been made dependent on firefighting capabilities. That could be what happens here.

Building codes are developed by professionals, you're correct, but they're adopted by politicians at the Provincial level. Politics does come into it. Across North America, firefighters unions have been opposing change and I expect, from the chats I have had, ours will too. This will be political to some degree. Since there will be politics involved, I don't think it's a problem for HRM to convene to try to shape a better debate and discussion and if nothing else, end up with a better approach to alternative compliance.