Burn Survivor from The Station Nightclub fire speaks-out for the NFPA

On February 20th, 2003, a fire broke out in a nightclub that killed 100 people in just minutes.  Rob Feeney was there, and was one of the lucky ones that got out before the fire and smoke became to intense to survive.  Join Rob to read more about his experience at the NFPA's Fire Sprinkler Initiative blog.

http://sprinkler.blog.nfpa.org/2015/12/burn-survivor-from-the-station-nightclub-fire-now-nfpas-newest-blogger-and-fire-sprinkler-champion.html

For other posts about nightclub fires use the Theatre Safety Blog's search for keyword 'Station Nightclub'.

NFPA 80: Standard for Fire Doors and Protective Openings

Does this apply to your theatre?  If you have Fire Doors and/or Fire Curtains, then it most definitely applies if your locality has adopted this Fire Code.  This standard describes all of the requirements for testing and maintaining these critical fire and smoke containment elements.

How many times have you found stage doors physically propped-open with stage weights, chairs, desks, road cases, speakers, flag poles, kick-down door stops, rolled-up carpets, duct/gaffers tape, rope, or some other object?  This is clearly defined as a violation of the Fire Code and you should be able to instruct your staff as to why this is illegal and dangerous.

Do you know that Fire Doors and Fire Curtains must be inspected annually?  When was the last time yours were inspected?  What are you looking for when you do the inspection?  Which doors count as Fire Doors?  Overhead, hinged, sliding?  How fast (or slow) must the Fire Curtain close?  How often do they need to be tested?  What markings and signage are required?

Although the standard does not cover all of the aspects of Fire Doors and Fire Curtains - it does place most of the pertinent information in one location.  Like many things that the NFPA regulations cover, sometimes the answers are scattered across several different standards:

• The routes that lead to the Fire Exits are discussed in NFPA 101: Life Safety Code.
• The EXIT signs are addressed in NFPA 70: National Electric Code.
• The Smoke Vents over the stage that work in conjunction with the Fire Curtain and Fire Doors are addressed in NFPA 204: Standards for Smoke and Heat Venting
• The Fire Detection and Alarm System that may release electrically held Fire Doors, Fire Curtains, Smoke Vents, and Duct Shutters is addressed in NFPA 72: National Fire Alarm and Signaling Code
• The smoke suppression system in the air ducts are defined under NFPA 90A: Standard for the Installation of Air-Conditioning and Ventilating Systems

Other related Codes:

• Portable Fire Extinguishers are regulated by NFPA 10: Standard for Portable Fire Extinguishers
• The Fire Sprinkler System is defined by NFPA 13
• The Standpipe and Fire Hose requirements are in NFPA 14

The NFPA (http://www.nfpa.org/) publishes the standards and the books that discuss them, and they also present webinars to further educate people that have to understand and know how these items work. They have an upcoming webinar regarding NFPA 80 that you can sign-up for here:

http://www.nfpa.org/catalog/product.asp?catalog%5Fname=NFPA+Catalog&pid=80SFD#TabAnchor

You can subscribe to e-mail notices from the NFPA at:
http://www.nfpa.org/Catalog/RequestPrintCatalog.asp?src=catalog

National Fire Prevention Week: October 5-9, 2009

In honor of National Fire Prevention Week I thought it would be good to take a look back at one of the worst Theatre Fires that ever struck this industry. The Iroquois Theatre Fire in Chicago was integral in forcing the development of improved Fire Safety Codes and Building Codes. Although the facility was largely constructed from fire retardant materials, the fire started with scenery that was not fire-proof, the fire and smoke containment system failed, and many of the emergency egress routes were blocked.  In just a few moments, hundreds of people were killed.  A true tragedy in every sense of the word.

For those that are inclined to learn from the past, and sadly, realize that many theatres today suffer from EXACTLY THE SAME CONDITIONS, please read through some of the material at the following links:

• www.inficad.com/~ksup/iroquois.html
• http://query.nytimes.com/mem/archive-free/pdf?_r=1&res=9D02E5D71130E233A25750C0A9679C946597D6CF
• www.nfpa.org/assets/files/PDF/iroquois.pdf
• www.wayneturney.20m.com/iroquoisfire.htm

Does your Fire Curtain work properly?  Does it meet all the current codes?  When was it last inspected?  When was it last tested?  Where are your records?  Where are your spare parts?  Where is the wiring diagram for the motorized hoist (if it has one)?  If you don't know the answer to any of these questions, find out!

If you need help getting this system properly designed and operating, please contact me.  Assessment of these critical Life Safety Systems is important to your staff, patrons, and performers alike.

It's 10:00 - Do you know where your Fire Extinguishers are?

When you have fire extinguishers in your facility it is very important that you and your staff:

• Know where they are
• Know when they were last inspected
• Know how to use them

Knowing where they are is important not just for you and your staff, but for the person that has to check them as well. I frequently find units in the same building that have five or six different inspections YEARS. It is obvious that each successive inspector did not know where all of the fire extinguishers were located. Suggestion: Draw a building floor plan and annotate the location of all of the fire protection devices:

• Fire Extinguishers
• Fire Alarm Pull Stations, Smoke Detectors, Rate-of-Rise Heat Detectors
• Special Devices (Fire Door releases, Fire Curtain(s), Smoke Vent(s), Elevator Lobbies)
• Fire Alarm Control Panel (FACP)
• Alarm Strobes, Horns, Bells
• Emergency Lights
• Fire Sprinkler Heads
• Fire Hose Cabinets

Keep it filed with your inspection records, and post copies for your staff. Other good information to keep with this would include contacts:

• Fire Marshal
• Fire Alarm Company
• Fire Sprinkler Company
• Fire Extinguisher Service Company
• Rigging System Service Company
• Smoke Vent System Service Company

Note the dates on the inspection tag in the picture above -- they are ambiguous (no year), and difficult to read. To help identify yearly inspections are being done on all equipment, use a different color of tag each year (red, yellow, blue, green, white, etc.) so that non-conforming tags stand-out more noticeably.

Know when and how to use a fire supression device. Get training for your staff and students. If you can't actually put-out a real fire, then do the next best thing and use a fire extinguisher training device like the BullsEye or I.T.S. Extreme from BullEx Safety (http://www.bullexsafety.com/).

Burning Stones

This was a truly excellent design for a stone wall. From the audience seating it really did look like rocks in a great wall. Up close, I was able to see how it was made: Each 'stone' was made from a brown paper lunch sack with wadded-up newspaper inside. They were glued to a piece of corrugated cardboard, and lightly accented with Krylon enamel spray paint (I saw the empty cans). There were many of these wall panels. Guess what? Not a single part was treated with any fire retardant. One spark and the whole wall would have gone up in flames! Location: Elementary school stage.

NFPA Life Safety Code 101, paragraphs 12.4.5.11 & 13.4.5.11 specifically requires scenery and stage properties ('props') to be constructed of noncombustible materials.

Fire on the line!

Fire sprinkler pipes, heads, and other fittings are not for rigging, attaching flags, banners, or anything else.