2006 New York Code - Egress From Dwellings.

 
    § 254. Egress from dwellings. 1. Nursing and convalescent homes, homes
  for  the  aged  and  boarding and nursery schools, two stories in height
  erected after July first, nineteen  hundred  fifty-seven,  child  caring
  institutions,  two stories in height, erected after July first, nineteen
  hundred sixty-two and all dwellings three  or  more  stories  in  height
  shall  have  at  least  two  means  of  egress  and, except as otherwise
  provided in the case of a pitched or sloped roof, shall  extend  to  the
  roof  from  an  entrance  story, street, court or yard. The entrances to
  such means of egress at every story  shall  be  at  least  fifteen  feet
  distant  from  each  other unless they are on opposite sides of a public
  hall. One means of egress shall be a stair constructed  as  provided  in
  section  two  hundred  fifty-seven.  The  other means of egress shall be
  either another such stair or a fire-stair or a  fire-escape  constructed
  as provided in section one hundred thirty-three.
    2.  If  the  number of living rooms on any story, or in any section of
  any story, above the entrance story exceeds twenty, there  shall  be  an
  additional  stair  or  a fire-stair extending from the entrance story to
  the roof for each twenty rooms or fraction  thereof  on  such  story  or
  section  thereof  in  excess  of twenty, except that no additional stair
  shall be required for such excess on any story or section thereof if the
  number of living rooms thereon does not exceed thirty and if in addition
  one stair serving such story or section and every entrance hall or other
  public hall connected therewith is everywhere four feet  six  inches  or
  more in clear width.
    3.  There shall be accessible from every apartment two means of egress
  from the dwelling, one of which shall be  an  enclosed  stair  complying
  with the provisions of section two hundred fifty-seven within fifty feet
  from a means of egress from such apartment.
    4.  Nursing  and  convalescent homes, homes for the aged, and boarding
  and nursery schools, one story in  height,  erected  after  July  first,
  nineteen  hundred  fifty-seven, and child caring institutions, one story
  in height, erected after July first, nineteen hundred  sixty-two,  shall
  have  at least two means of egress from the dwelling accessible to every
  apartment providing free and unobstructed egress by a  door  opening  to
  the outer air.