Do We Honor Free Egress In All Circumstances?

The AHJ has the latitude and culpability here, so they are the authoritative voice in the matter.

However, codes are pretty clear on the point of preserving free and uninhibited egress. So if typical Building Occupancy Codes are applied without exemption, there's a good chance the exit arrangement isn't code compliant.

The fact you weren't willing to bend the rules might have lost you the job, which is unfortunate.  But you and your company may be saved from a bad situation with punitive damages as a result.

If it were me, I'd discuss this with the Fire Marshal or AHJ soon to get clarity, and explain your situation like you did here; 'I'm losing work because I'm following your laws... what gives?' I'm confident you'll provoke a response.

The answer will depend on where your customer's site is. 

We have done installations with maglocks and a card readers on both sides that have passed inspection however whenever the fire alarm goes off the maglocks lose power allowing free egress.

There was also a requirement for additional pull stations near each of the doors. 

The doors you describe (even card in and card out) should really be delayed egress if securing on egress is a concern.  For the most part AHJ's in my area (Central NY) would not let what is described fly.  The big thing they always say is that its not just fires they worry about.  I can see where the fire pull station would give some latitude, but unsure it still meets the letter of the code. 

You will always see installations that, for whatever reason, are in violation of building and fire codes. I see this every day as I do my security assessments. Just because someone has been getting away with a code violation doesn't make it right. Keep in mind that many code officials are not particularly knowledgeable about electric lock hardware, and many are so overworked that it is easy to get something by them even if it is not right.

The building owner, designers, and contractors involved in any installation can be held legally liable for any code deficiency, even if it was overlooked by an inspector. The only exception would be when a written variance was obtained in advance from the AHJ, but even these often contain weasel words that can leave doubt about the final outcome.

The old adage "its OK because its tied to the fire alarm" fails to to recognize that there are emergencies other than a fire that can require free egress out of a building. These can include earthquakes, chemical spills, and active shooter events.

Remember that a tragedy (and subsequent lawsuits) can occur years after the installation is completed. The owners' rep who told you it was OK to install it in violation of codes and the inspector who failed to catch it can be long gone, leaving the contractor who installed it holding the bag.

Always do the right thing, even if it costs you a job or two along the way. 

Seems like everyone has covered this pretty well. We have a lot of Maglocks on our site, all connected to fire alarm for release on stage 2 fire. Many doors have delayed egress, and some have blue pull stations that cut power to the mag.

But I've seen many people just come in bid low with a cheap mag lock, install it, and walk away. Customer assumes they are the expert, don't think to pull any permits or check with the AHJ and just assume things are all good.

I wouldn't necessarily blame the data center. It's possible everything has been cleared by the AHJ, or it's possible they don't even know it's a violation. If you wanted to do something about it, mention it to the contact you had during the bid, a friendly heads up if you're concerned.

Data Centers often make people sign NDA's when they enter.  I suspect they're expecting that this will keep their sins a secret.  So check carefully, you may be violating an NDA if you tell the fire marshall.  Not to disagree with the many interesting code comments in the thread...

I just spoke to someone at the Fire Marshall's office and explained the circumstance. They are going to call me back....