107th Anniversary of the Iroquois Theatre Fire

As we start the new year let's take a moment to look around our facilities with a fresh set of eye's.  It never ceases to amaze me at the number of obvious fire hazards I see when visiting theatres, gymatoriums, cafetoriums, and other assembly spaces.

It sometimes seems like we haven't learned anything since that fateful day in Chicago where over 600 people lost their lives.  These are the common fire code violations I frequently see that also fueled the Iroquois Theatre tragedy:

• Scenery (costumes, props, flats, platforms, etc.) not constructed with fire retardant / incombustable materials.
• Fire Curtain not fully functional (Tied-off, stuck, snagged, blocked, etc.)
• Smoke Vent systems not functional.
• Fire Doors propped-open.
• Emergency egress lighting system inoperative.
• Egress Routes blocked with tables, chairs, pianos, platforms, road cases, scenery, and/or camera tripods.
• Exit Doors blocked, locked, or obscured.

Learn not to burn.  Keep your Fire and Smoke Protective Systems working properly and accessible.

Here is a blog entry from Lori Green at Ingersol-Rand Security Technologies, the manufacturers of Von-Duprin Door hardware.  They make one of the few crash-bar exit systems that don't make a lot of noise - Great for Theatres!  http://idighardware.com/2010/12/iroquois-theater-fire/

Doors - Not just for Jim Morrison

Did you know that Fire Doors must be inspected annually? Yup, just like a Fire Curtain. Ref: 2010 NFPA 80, chapter 5.2.1. Most doors in an institutional building are Fire Doors, and an easy way to verify if a door is a Fire Door it is to look at the edge of the door leaf that is attached to the hinges.

If it is a Fire Door then you will see a small metal placard that says: FIRE DOOR and a bunch of other information about the door.  Look closely if you don't see it at first -- it may have been painted-over -- which is also a fire code violation. Ref: 2010 NFPA 80, chapter 4.2.2.

Inspections of Fire Doors are to check that the door is:

• There (yes, I find them missing sometimes).
• In proper operating condition (windows not broken, operating hardware all functioning).
• The latches work (and aren't covered with gaffer's tape) - this is so the door can stay closed against the atmospheric forces of a fire.
• The crash-bar (panic hardware) works and allows the door to open (no extra dead-bolts, pad-locks, or chains).
• To make sure the door is not blocked on either side in a manner that would prevent it from being opened (things like pianos, stacks of chairs or desks, book cases, filing cabinets, cars, trucks, orchestra shells, etc.).
• To make sure that the door is not propped open in a manner that would prevent it from being closed automatically (this means NO stage weights, NO chairs, NO desks, NO microphone stands, NO speakers, NO road cases, NO scenery, NO flag pole bases, NO . . . well, you should get the point).
• To see if the automatic door closer hardware actually automatically closes the door (this is how you keep the smoke-in, air out, and keep the fire from spreading).  Disconnected, clamped, maladjusted, or broken closers must be repaired or replaced.
• To  make sure that 'extra things' haven't been added to the door like kick-down door props (no, you cannot add these to Fire Doors!) or bailing wire to tie the door open.
• And to check that the magnetic door release latch, if any, is properly working in conjunction with the Fire Alarm System (yes, this is the only legal way to prop a door open).

Great signs

Such a simple concept, but missed by many - label the door to the electical room.

Exit, stage right

The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) Life Safety Code says, and for good reason, that you can't block or lock theatre exits during periods of occupancy. Doors, if equipped with latches and / or locks must be readily operable by anyone needing to exit the building.

The picture above shows a locking bar that was installed up-side-down (note the "Lift Up" text):


The locking bar is pinned in place by TWO hairpin cotter pins (one visible at each end).







And the right leaf has a dead-bolt that pins into the floor at the bottom (which probably would not be visible should a crowd of people rush the door)







Additionally, the signage applied to the door should be worded:
NOTICE: This door shall remain unlocked during occupancy.