Deluge Fire Safety Systems
- Thread startergafftaper
- Start date
That's America for you. The designers put them in so they wouldn't get sued and company tells you not to use them so they won't get sued.
once again showing that charc needs to be supervised... Don't be a hero, gear and buildings can be replaced, you can't.
Also, while on the tangent of personal fire suppression devices, I want to say that when a fire extinguisher says stand 6 feet away, they aren't kidding. I had a fixture that caught fire due to an electrical short, so a grabbed a fire extinguisher and hopped up a ladder to put it out. Well I was significantly closer than the specified 6 feet, and it was a mess. It was a dry chem extinguisher and I came down completely white, covered in powder (and with a nosefull as well). It was exciting....
Also, while on the tangent of personal fire suppression devices, I want to say that when a fire extinguisher says stand 6 feet away, they aren't kidding. I had a fixture that caught fire due to an electrical short, so a grabbed a fire extinguisher and hopped up a ladder to put it out. Well I was significantly closer than the specified 6 feet, and it was a mess. It was a dry chem extinguisher and I came down completely white, covered in powder (and with a nosefull as well). It was exciting....
tjrobb
Well-Known Member
I hate to necro post, but as a member of NFPA who has to keep his theatre up to code I feel I should.
There are 2.5 types of handlines: the first is the basic 1.5" fire hose, designed to keep pressure kind of low so that occupants may use it if needed. The second is a larger, 2.5", hose connection for fire department use. The "third" is actually a combination of the first two types, often by having a 2.5" outlet with a reducer to 1.5" that attaches to a length of hose.
So, yes, in theory the small lines are designed for use by a staff member who knows what they are doing.
The use of fire hoses is mandatory in all legitimate theatres with a stage greater than 1000sf. The first place they are put is either side of the stage (so, two places so far). HOWEVER, if you are in a legitimate theatre with greater than 1000 designated patrons (in one auditorium, not cumulative, IIRC) you then need them in the following additional places: either side of all seating levels, HR & HL and all floors with dressing rooms, near the rooms. There is a also a requirement for hoses UNDER the stage, but I can't recall when that applies.
Note that the above hoses (for theatres) are all the third type, for use by in-house crew and fire personnel.
As for deluge systems/water curtains (roughly the same thing, close enough for my discussion), they are to be no more than 3' from the plaster line (US side of the arch), and no more than 6' on-center. The actual amount of water delivered has too many factors to cover here, but the basic premise was stated in an earlier post: prevent heat, fire, and smoke passing through the arch.
Also, IIRC at 1000sf a stage is required to have a sprinkler system as well as smoke hatches. Note that this is about the only place in the NFPA's code that lets you put sprinklers where they are going to be obstructed (gridiron, anyone?) and they make up for this by increasing the amount of output from each head.
WARNING: All information is from memory so no claim to it's veracity is given or stated.
There are 2.5 types of handlines: the first is the basic 1.5" fire hose, designed to keep pressure kind of low so that occupants may use it if needed. The second is a larger, 2.5", hose connection for fire department use. The "third" is actually a combination of the first two types, often by having a 2.5" outlet with a reducer to 1.5" that attaches to a length of hose.
So, yes, in theory the small lines are designed for use by a staff member who knows what they are doing.
The use of fire hoses is mandatory in all legitimate theatres with a stage greater than 1000sf. The first place they are put is either side of the stage (so, two places so far). HOWEVER, if you are in a legitimate theatre with greater than 1000 designated patrons (in one auditorium, not cumulative, IIRC) you then need them in the following additional places: either side of all seating levels, HR & HL and all floors with dressing rooms, near the rooms. There is a also a requirement for hoses UNDER the stage, but I can't recall when that applies.
Note that the above hoses (for theatres) are all the third type, for use by in-house crew and fire personnel.
As for deluge systems/water curtains (roughly the same thing, close enough for my discussion), they are to be no more than 3' from the plaster line (US side of the arch), and no more than 6' on-center. The actual amount of water delivered has too many factors to cover here, but the basic premise was stated in an earlier post: prevent heat, fire, and smoke passing through the arch.
Also, IIRC at 1000sf a stage is required to have a sprinkler system as well as smoke hatches. Note that this is about the only place in the NFPA's code that lets you put sprinklers where they are going to be obstructed (gridiron, anyone?) and they make up for this by increasing the amount of output from each head.
WARNING: All information is from memory so no claim to it's veracity is given or stated.
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