Exit signs & emergency lighting

Tom pointed out the building has no illuminated exit signs or emergency path lighting anywhere. Code requires both.

Where we are: Tom's right — no exit signs anywhere. Also confirmed: no emergency path lighting anywhere either, which is a separate code requirement (hallways/stairs need to stay lit if power fails, not just the exit doors marked). First spot: above/near the back auditorium doors under the balcony, where the 65″ confidence monitor TV is going — needs to go in before that TV is hung. Still need to walk the rest of the building for every other spot that needs a sign or a light.

⚠ Urgent

No exit signs anywhere in the building — this is a life-safety code item, not just a nice-to-have.

Next steps

Walk the building and mark every door/hallway that needs an exit sign or emergency light
Micheal · Tom flagged no exit signs; also confirmed no emergency path lighting anywhere.
To do
Buy the first exit sign ($30.13 on Amazon — confirmed same item, cheaper than Lowe's)
Micheal · For above the back auditorium doors, under the balcony.
To do
Install the first exit sign above the back doors, before the confidence monitor TV goes up
Rayburn / Micheal · Hardwired — needs power run to it.
To do
Check with the city/fire marshal on exact exit-sign requirements
Micheal · Confirm count and placement rules before buying more.
To do
Buy an emergency light fixture for the back doors area ($39.98)
Micheal · Since there's no emergency lighting there yet either.
To do

Illuminated exit signs are required by code (IBC 1013, as adopted in Mississippi) at every exit and along the path to it — see the code summary below. Right now there aren't any in the building.

The code (checked Nov 2026)

Mississippi follows the IBC/IFC model codes, enforced locally by the city/county building and fire officials. Under IBC 1013.1, every exit and exit-access door needs an approved exit sign visible from any direction of travel — churches don't get a blanket exemption just for being a place of worship; the only exceptions are narrow (single-exit rooms, an obviously-identifiable main door if the building official specifically approves skipping the sign, residential units, etc.). The sign has to be illuminated at all times (IBC 1013.6), with at least 90 minutes of battery/emergency backup power (IBC 1013.6.3) so it stays lit if the power goes out — a plain unlit placard doesn't meet code. The Lithonia EXRG sign below is UL 924 listed, which is built to satisfy exactly this. One thing still to confirm with the local fire marshal: there's a reference somewhere in the MS Fire Code to an exception for places of worship under 300 occupants, but it wasn't clear if that applies to exit signs specifically or something else (like emergency path lighting) — worth asking directly.

First sign: above the back auditorium doors

Right above the door frame works — that's the standard spot for an exit sign, and the 11" of clear wall between the balcony soffit and the top of the door frame (measured) is plenty of room for a sign that's only 7.2" tall. This needs to go in before the 65″ confidence monitor TV is mounted right above it.

Item	Qty	Each	Why
Lithonia Lighting EXRG exit sign, LED, red/green switchable, hardwired	1	$30.13	Same exact item as the Lowe's listing (model EXRG EL M6, UL 924 / NFPA 101 / NFPA 70 / OSHA listed, 90-minute Ni-MH battery backup, dual-voltage 120/277V) — confirmed, just cheaper on Amazon ($30.13 vs $39.98). Already wall-mountable as-is ("universal mount: top, end or back" — back mounting is wall mounting), no separate wall-mount kit needed. Switch inside for red or green letters — use red.
Total		$30.13

Emergency path lighting for hallways and stairs

This is a second, separate code requirement (IBC 1008.3) from the exit sign itself — the path to the exit (hallways, stairs, aisles) also has to stay lit if the power goes out. The building doesn't have any of this anywhere right now. These go in hallways and stairwells generally, not just at doors, and they don't carry "EXIT" wording — that's reserved for the actual exit/exit-access doors.

Item	Qty	Each	Why
Lithonia Lighting Contractor Select EU2C emergency light, dual adjustable LED heads, hardwired	1	$39.98	UL listed, meets Life Safety Code. 90-minute battery backup. Same brand/line as the exit sign for consistent parts. Wall mount and ceiling mount both built in, no separate kit needed. Price per fixture — need to walk the building to count how many spots need one.
Total		$39.98

Where the first one goes

Above the back auditorium doors, under the balcony — same spot the confidence monitor TV is going

11" of clear wall between the balcony soffit and the top of the door frame

Tips

The back auditorium doors (first sign location) likely need BOTH the sign and a nearby emergency light, since there's no emergency lighting anywhere yet — not just the sign by itself.
Hardwired, not battery-only — Rayburn needs to tie it into a circuit (existing lighting circuit is usually fine, check local code on whether it needs to be on emergency/unswitched power).
Walk the rest of the building and mark every other exit door and any long hallway that needs one — don't just do the one and stop.
Worth a call to the city or the MS State Fire Marshal's office to confirm exact count/placement rules before buying a bunch at once.

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