Public Assembly Code Enforcement (PACE)
The Public Assembly Code Enforcement (PACE) domain tests how you apply NFPA 101 Life Safety Code requirements to assembly occupancies-restaurants, nightclubs, theaters, banquet halls, and similar gathering places. Questions focus on occupant load, means of egress, crowd management, and inspection findings that an enforcement official must recognize and correct.
Core rules
- Occupant load factors: Use NFPA 101 Table 7.3.1.2. Common assembly factors are 5 ft² per person for standing space, 7 ft² for concentrated seating (chairs only), and 15 ft² for tables and chairs. Fixed seating is counted by the number of seats, not by floor area.
- Number of exits: For new assembly occupancies, one exit is permitted for an occupant load up to 49; two exits for 50–500; three for 501–1000; four above 1000. Existing assembly rules can differ, so confirm the applicable chapter.
- Egress capacity: Level components require 0.2 in of clear width per person; stairs require 0.3 in per person. Measure the narrowest clear point with doors in the open position, not the door leaf or frame.
- Travel distance: Assembly exit access travel is typically limited to 200 ft unsprinklered and 250 ft sprinklered.
- Crowd managers: Required where the occupant load exceeds 500, at a ratio of one trained crowd manager per 250 occupants. A load of exactly 500 does not trigger the requirement.
Worked example
A new sprinklered banquet hall is 6,000 ft² with tables and chairs. Occupant load = 6,000 ÷ 15 = 400. Two exits are required because the load is between 50 and 500. Total egress width = 400 × 0.2 in = 80 in, so each of two exits must provide at least 40 in clear width, and no exit may be less than 36 in. Travel distance must not exceed 250 ft. Crowd managers are not required because the load is not over 500. If the plan shows only one 36-in door, capacity is 36 ÷ 0.2 = 180 persons-well below 400-so the plan fails.
Traps that cost marks
Using the 7 ft² concentrated factor for tables and chairs; counting floor area instead of seats for fixed seating; measuring door-leaf width rather than clear opening; ignoring cumulative occupant load from adjacent spaces; assuming sprinklers reduce the required number of exits (they may extend travel distance, not remove exit count); and applying the crowd-manager threshold at 500 instead of over 500.