Mr. Schaplock — Says firefighters' tactic is to search first along the path most likely traveled by victims before exterior attack.
Mr. Schaplock — Says he personally was not consulted, though his counterpart vice president Matt Smith may have been.
Mr. Schaplock — Says no mitigating elements would make the bill acceptable.
Mr. Schaplock — Says Senator Robbie stated 19 states are considering or have adopted similar measures; notes Texas and Montana passed something similar.
Mr. Schaplock — Says he has not discussed the issue with Texas or Montana and cites data from the International Association of Fire Fighters.
Mr. Schaplock — Said he would get the fire marshal because the marshal would know the answer better.
Mr. Schaplock — Referenced as having made a prior point about the only way out being a single stairwell.
Kyle Harris — Representative Kyle Harris asks whether six-story buildings would be safer for firefighters to approach from the exterior using ladder trucks, rather than fighting a fire from inside the building.
Kyle Harris — Asks whether the single stair should be required to be open air in the middle of the building.
Kyle Harris — Addressed by the sponsor in response to his question.
Kyle Harris — Said he would support the motion, noting that cities capable of handling the structures would be the ones likely to allow them.
Kyle Harris — Called during the roll call, but no vote was captured in the transcript.
Michael Veile — Asks whether the witness was consulted on the bill and had input into drafting it.
Michael Veile — Likely the member referred to as 'Representative Vili'; voted yes.
Josh Wheeler — Asks whether any mitigating elements would make the bill acceptable to the witness.
Josh Wheeler — Voted yes as vice chairman during the roll call.
Jordan Redman — The chair is referenced in the committee exchange as follow-up questions continue.
Jordan Redman — Chairman Jordan Redman opened discussion on the motion before the committee, acknowledged the sponsor’s intent, later voted yes during the roll call as chair, and then announced the bill’s passage out of committee before adjourning the meeting.
Brent Crane — Asks a follow-up question after the witness says Texas and Montana passed similar measures.
Jaron Crane — Representative Jaron Crane questioned the witness about whether the 48-inch stairwell width was already required by code or represented an increase, then followed up on whether making the stairwell wider—such as 60 or 72 inches—would address concerns about the proposal. He then asked whether cities could choose to adopt the proposal individually, using Meridian, Boise, Nampa, and Caldwell as examples of cities that might opt in or out.
Jaron Crane — Jaron Crane is referenced in the course of the vote on the bill: he states that he is not ready to support the legislation, requests a roll call vote, and then appears in the roll call record with conflicting entries that likely reflect a transcription error, though the overall context indicates his opposition and no vote.
Mike Bazanio — Mike Bazanio, Fire Marshal for the Boise Fire Department speaking for the Idaho Fire Chiefs Association, explained that the bill reflects a 48-inch standard that some jurisdictions use for four-story buildings, though others use 54 inches for six-story buildings. He argued that the larger issue is single egress, which creates a single point of failure, and described how firefighters and evacuees rely on the same stairwell during an emergency. He said firefighters enter with air packs while occupants are trying to escape, so the stairwell can fill with smoke, making pressurization and separation from a potentially toxic environment important. He also noted that jurisdictions with ordinance authority, such as cities, can adopt such requirements, while fire districts cannot, which is why the bill makes the policy statewide.
Robert Elliott — Robert Elliott, a Boise resident speaking for himself, testified in support of H.B. 706. He argued that the bill is a common-sense return to property rights and market-driven housing, and he emphasized that modern apartments are already safe. He also noted that HB 706 includes strong fire-safety standards for single-stair buildings, including full NFPA 13 sprinklers and two-hour fire-rated stairwells.
Mr. Elliott — Committee thanked him for his testimony after no questions.
Jordan Morales — Jordan Morales, a Southeast Boise resident speaking in a personal capacity, testified in support of the housing concept, arguing that it is becoming more mainstream and that its design features—such as cross breezes, fresh air, ventilation, and energy efficiency—make it a better fit for neighborhoods while still providing density and family housing.
Christian Solorio — Named as the next virtual witness to testify.
L'Orio — The speaker appears to be addressing or referring to someone named L'Orio, though the transcription is unclear.
Richard Cheatum — Raises a question about the code section being added and asks about mitigation measures.
Richard Cheatum — Asks for a list of mitigation measures and their costs.
Richard Cheatum — Follows up asking which requirements are already in code and what the added costs would be.
Richard Cheatum — Called during the roll call, but no vote was captured in the transcript.
Joe Palmer — Called during roll call, but no vote was captured in the transcript.
Jeff Cornilles — Voted yes during the roll call.
Jeff Ehlers — Likely the member referred to as 'Representative Alers'; no vote was captured.
Jason Monks — Representative Jason Monks was called during roll call, but no vote was captured in the transcript.
David Cannon — Representative David Cannon voted yes during the roll call.
Kent Marmon — Voted yes during the roll call.
Cornel Rasor — Likely the member referred to as 'Representative Razor'; no vote was captured.
Steve Berch — Likely the member referred to as 'Representative Birch'; no vote was captured.
Brooke Green — Representative Brooke Green was noted as casting a quiet yes vote, and shortly afterward the chair indicated she would carry the bill on the floor.
Ali Robbie — Ali Robbie introduced himself as representing District 16, including Garden City and Northwest Boise, and began presenting the bill.
Rob Schaplock — Introduces himself as a member of the Professional Firefighters of Idaho representing 1,500 members.
Vito Barbieri — Representative Vito Barbieri questions the witness about the claimed 12-year worldwide track record of single-stairway buildings, pressing for a response on whether that history supports the proposal.
Vito Barbieri — Called during roll call, but no vote was captured in the transcript.
Mr. Schaplock — Responds to questions after his testimony.
Mr. Schaplock — Disagrees with the claim and says he has seen fires in alcove-style buildings where residents were trapped.
Faye Thompson — Representative Thompson moved to approve the minutes from February 25th as written.