And There Were Fire Trucks....
- Thread starteremorrisey
- Start date
Arenas and large venues use investigate before evacuating because an alarm could cause a frantic rush for the exits, which makes people all sorts of likely to be injured, and there's presumably someone competent on site for said investigating. It's unlikely the the entire building will fill with smoke in the 5 minutes it takes to check, and obviously if there are blatant flames people will evacuate, however until there's confirmation it's more risk to evacuate than not.
This is not true in dorms. In fact, in most college dorms, a room could fill with smoke from burned popcorn in a microwave that someone opens the door to, letting the fire get oxygen and burn and suffocate people, and all that before fire officials would arrive.
(The above is entirely a guess, I really have no idea)
Anonymous067
Active Member
Yeah... we had a week like that. Several unrelated threats in the same week. Never saw so many police/school security/hired rent-a-cops on campus at the same time. We had a big show going on that week and a teacher called security over one of the freelance guys working on the show. Security showed up (who knew him) and proceeded to ask him to help them search the theatre for the stranger that was reported, and proceeded to describe him to himself. They never did figure it out... apparently he's good at keeping a straight face because he went along with it to see how long it would take them to figure out and they never did.
Ugh...we had admin come into the booth during our last show of the talent show and tell us we couldn't go black anymore because they were "afraid that the people in the front row were going to rush the stage". I asked why they couldn't put admin by the front row, and they said because they didn't want to "scare them". WTH?
edmedmoped
Active Member
shiben
Well-Known Member
During our dorm safety briefing, we were informed that a fire can move through a dorm at terrifying speed, and the building can be fully involved in under 5 minutes. Basically, if your asleep and the building is actually on fire, it is possible that you will be dead/trapped before you realize its time to evacuate. Even if the doors/walls/suppression systems work, people on floors 3+ really do only have less than 5 minutes before you wont be able to see due to the smoke. If you think about a large arena, what in there is super flammable? Possibly the concrete walls and floor? The chance of a fire having an arena entirely in flames is pretty low in the first place, I would imagine. In a dorm, everyone's room is filled with papers, books and clothes. If your room is like mine, its basically a tinderbox with all sorts of devices with which to light it off sitting around. Reason number one why I dont block the sprinkler/detector. Fire is not something that is to be f***ed around with, if there is an alarm, evacuation is really the best plan. Even if its 3Am and snowing outside, just do it. I have seen what fire can do to bodies, its not pretty. Also, you can replace your stuff. Just get out.
firewater88
Active Member
We have had two alarms go off for two different shows in the past 5 years. The first one was a fluke, the guy in charge of the fog machine plugged it in to warm up, but had it pointing out the back stage door and when it poofed during warm up, it went right out he door and into the detector. I had NO clue that was what it was. I had to evacuate the whole building, standard protocol. I then found out what it was and reprimanded that guy for the rest of the run.
The second time was more my fault. We just got a new hazer and hadn't broke in the venue yet. We cranked it up for the final number and had a good haze on. As soon as the kids hit the last note of the show in rehearsal, the alarm went off. Everyone thought it was part of the show! You couldn't ask for better timing. I have since replaced the smoke detector (that tripped) on stage to a heat sensor. All the other detectors in the theatre are in the return air ducts, which I can now disable at the alarm panel of the building. (highly recommended for everyone who has access to doing this.)
The second time was more my fault. We just got a new hazer and hadn't broke in the venue yet. We cranked it up for the final number and had a good haze on. As soon as the kids hit the last note of the show in rehearsal, the alarm went off. Everyone thought it was part of the show! You couldn't ask for better timing. I have since replaced the smoke detector (that tripped) on stage to a heat sensor. All the other detectors in the theatre are in the return air ducts, which I can now disable at the alarm panel of the building. (highly recommended for everyone who has access to doing this.)
GreyWyvern
Well-Known Member
Have you gotten the OK from your AHJ to do that? Most places, you can only do that if there is someone from the AHJ present in the venue for the entire time the system is turned off. They usually have to walk the entire building (or at least the section that is affected) once or twice an hour. Just turning the system off without taking the proper precautions is dangerous and not recommended to anyone even if you do have the access.
firewater88
Active Member
This was a feature programed into the fire panel when the building was built. I asked the FM once during a walk through and he said it was fine to shut it down during a performance only. It is password locked at the panel, so not just anyone can do it.
OK, I shouldn't have added that tag line (everyone should do it) Although I think heat sensors on stage are better to have than smoke detectors.
GreyWyvern
Well-Known Member
firewater88
Active Member
probably not a bad idea to have it in writing. I don't think we have that anywhere. Next time I see him, I will ask about it.
Thanks
Thanks
My school shares our building with another school which is 6-12 ( we are 9-12), so the other school is I think required to do a fire drill every month where as us as a high school only have to do it once a month..... So every time they have one the announcement comes over the P.A. "DO not leave the building the alarm is for the other school..." GRRRR
MarshallPope
Well-Known Member
Good story, but I'm a bit confused - They have to have a drill every month while you guys "only" have to have one once a month??
Good story, but I'm a bit confused - They have to have a drill every month while you guys "only" have to have one once a month??
Yes. I think this is because they are a middle school as well as a high school..... So because we are only a high school we only have to do it every three months....... Its really wierd
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