Panic button ?

[SteveB]

Any consultant know the applicable code for a house light panic button requirement in the rear of the auditorium ?.

We have an ETC Unison LCD panel at our rear orchestra, it was put in 10 years ago, it's in a locking station. In theory, the house manager could un-lock and press the "All Lights" button (I hate the use of the word Panic in this application), and activate the house lights.

I am in the process of specifying a complete Unison system upgrade to Paradigm and would love to eliminate this LCD station if it's not needed.

It is NYC, but other jurisdictions might well have a similar requirement.

Thanks,

SB

 

[tjrobb]

IIRC, look at NFPA 1 and 101. Its still required, at least here in Iowa. Look at it this way, in an emergency where the board operator / SM aren't available to fire the house lights this gives the HM a way to do it themselves.
As for an LCD, a simple one or two button station would work with less cost and hassle.

 

[SteveB]

Thanks for the link. The original intent for the LCD was for managers, cleaners and others to have access to the lighting when the backstage staff wasn't present and so they didn't have to go backstage to activate particular presets. There was no actual Panic function on this screen until the backstage staff activated the "work" function, then the LCD switched over to become a Panic capable station. It'll be replaced by a one button with a locking cover if it develops it's needed by code.


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[techieman33]

We have one in our house that has 3 buttons, lights on, lights off, and "preset" that goes to the last house light preset used on one of the main controls. It has a very low profile cover, and is painted to match the wall so most people never even realize that it's there. And since it's right next to one of the entrances to the theater there is usually an usher right there to keep someone from messing with it during a show.

 

[MNicolai]

NYC is notoriously stricter with their fire protection and life safety requirements than most so don't do anything one way or another without first having spoken with your AHJ. Below is some NFPA 2014 language on the matter. May or may not be applicable in your jurisdiction, and other codes speaking to this subject may be in effect. Possible there are additional, relevant codes, in NFPA or elsewhere.

NFPA 70: 700.21 Switch Location.

All manual switches for controlling emergency circuits shall be in locations convenient to authorized persons responsible for their actuation. In facilities covered by Articles 518 and 520, a switch for controlling emergency lighting circuits shall be located in the lobby or at a place conveniently accessible thereto.

In no case shall a control switch for emergency lighting be placed in a motion-picture control booth or on a stage or platform.

When they say Article 520 facilities, they're talking about theaters. Article 518 refers to assembly spaces.

Not sure that any controls on touchpanel via Unison are under any jurisdiction for life safety or fire codes. Too many potential points of a failure for a life safety application. Above code is most likely satisfied with an ELTS system, and that system would be controlled directly from a fire alarm control panel.

With an ELTS system, you can power otherwise dimmable circuits off of a standby generator, whereas through Unison without an ELTS, if you lost building power, any dimmable circuits Unison could fire up would be useless.

This is the extent of my familiarity with emergency switch requirements in theaters, though my background in recent history is primarily in audio/video systems. We've once before been asked to provide a mushroom head switch in a sports venue for emergency situations. When pressed, this would mute all audio at the DSP.

We're always given a contact closure from the fire protection systems that tie into DSP's, and when the fire alarm goes off, all PA audio mutes. Sometimes an AHJ will ask us to go as far as to having a fire alarm contact closure flip relays that instantly kill all sound system power in the theater, including killing power to company switches intended for use by touring groups bringing in their own sound systems.

Performance systems are not to be relied on for life safety.

I'm sure @BillConnerASTC can speak to this subject further.

 

[SteveB]

NYC is notoriously stricter with their fire protection and life safety requirements than most so don't do anything one way or another without first having spoken with your AHJ. Below is some NFPA 2014 language on the matter. May or may not be applicable in your jurisdiction, and other codes speaking to this subject may be in effect. Possible there are additional, relevant codes, in NFPA or elsewhere.

NFPA 70: 700.21 Switch Location.


When they say Article 520 facilities, they're talking about theaters. Article 518 refers to assembly spaces.

Not sure that any controls on touchpanel via Unison are under any jurisdiction for life safety or fire codes. Too many potential points of a failure for a life safety application. Above code is most likely satisfied with an ELTS system, and that system would be controlled directly from a fire alarm control panel.

With an ELTS system, you can power otherwise dimmable circuits off of a standby generator, whereas through Unison without an ELTS, if you lost building power, any dimmable circuits Unison could fire up would be useless.

This is the extent of my familiarity with emergency switch requirements in theaters, though my background in recent history is primarily in audio/video systems. We've once before been asked to provide a mushroom head switch in a sports venue for emergency situations. When pressed, this would mute all audio at the DSP.

We're always given a contact closure from the fire protection systems that tie into DSP's, and when the fire alarm goes off, all PA audio mutes. Sometimes an AHJ will ask us to go as far as to having a fire alarm contact closure flip relays that instantly kill all sound system power in the theater, including killing power to company switches intended for use by touring groups bringing in their own sound systems.

Performance systems are not to be relied on for life safety.

I'm sure @BillConnerASTC can speak to this subject further.

Thanks Mike, I'll give a look at those NFPA sections.

[EDITED]

As comment, there exists a separate emergency lighting system for the theater, including a partial stand-alone flood fixture system wired back to the generator that automatically activates with the generator, plus an automatic transfer system for certain dimmed house lights on a Unison DR12 rack (which will drive dimmers to full upon sensing loss of normal power), also capable of being energized by the generator. Thus any panic button would be to merely activate the audience chamber lighting while it was still on normal building power and would be a separate system. Our panel is located in the rear orchestra entrance way's right off the lobby. I'm just no longer clear on the code requirement for it, if a separate and automatic emergency system is present.