Exit Discharge is the portion of a means of egress between which two points?

• A. The portion of a means of egress between the termination of an exit and a public way.
• B. The lowest story from which exits discharge directly outside at grade.
• C. A passage within a building to an area of refuge.
• D. An area outside a building where people gather during evacuation.

Answer: (A)

Exit discharge is the outdoor portion of the means of egress, starting at the point where the interior exit ends (the termination of an exit) and continuing until you reach a public way. In NFPA 101, means of egress has three parts: exit access (inside the building), the exit itself, and exit discharge (outside to the public way). The purpose is to carry occupants from inside the building to a public space that is accessible to the public. So the correct description is the segment from the end of the interior exit to the public way, such as a street or other open public space.