INSPECTING AND WORKING PLACES OF PUBLIC ASSEMBLY
FIRE PREVENTION BUREAU
The chains still were swinging hack and forth on the wall next to the door’s panic hardware. Only moments before the doors had been chained shut. The fire inspector had been spotted entering the theater.
This example of inspecting places of public assembly occurred as I was preparing this column. A telephone complaint of overcrowding resulted in a fire inspector response to a cityowned theatrical facility. Approximately 119 teenagers were seated in the aisles; no seats were left for them at the oversold event. A citation for the overcrowding was issued and a court date was set.
WHAT IS A PLACE OF ASSEMBLY?
A place of public assembly is a structure in which SO or more people gather—for reasons of worship, transportation, entertainment, discussion, or other purposes. These facilities have the highest concentrations of people per square foot of any occupancy type, putting large numbers of people at risk from a single fire incident. The model codes recognize densities on the order of seven to 100 square feet per person, depending on the type of assembly use.
For example, assembly areas without fixed seats with high concentrations of people (such as dance floors, places of worship, movie theater lobbies, and so on) are taken at seven square feet per person. Assembly areas with less-concentrated use (such as conference rooms, drinking establishments, gyms, lounges, and exhibit rooms) are assigned an occupant load factor of 15 square feet per person. Facilities with fixed seating (bolted to the floor) have occupant loads based on the number of seats. Bleachers, pews, and benches are taken at 18 linear inches per person. Finally, libraries are assigned a factor of 50 square feet per person for the reading rooms, 100 square feet per person gross for the stack areas.
While places of assembly have some unique construction requirements to meet when built, this article concentrates on existing facilities.
DISTINGUISHING TYPES OF PATRONS
While the “gathering” feature and high-occupant concentrations are common threads in places of assembly. there are a few distinct differences among the patrons who use these facilities. It is important to consider these differences (some of which some codes are beginning to recognize) when inspecting or “working” places of assembly. These differences will modify the requirements that you make.
Age. How old are the attendees? Are they young or old? Can they hear, understand, and respond to emergencies and instructions unassisted? The very young and the very old obviously require more assistance than other age groups. Rapid movement of people out of the facility may not be possible. In many cases it is appropriate to provide “extra” care for the elderly and children. Ensuring that adequate numbers of adults are available to assist the children or older adults from the facility is an important consideration.
Physical condition. What are the disabilities of the attendees? Are they visually impaired, hearing impaired, or incapable of moving about on their own? Obviously the degree of impairment and the number of attendees with such impairments will dictate the precautions taken. Many places of assembly provide dedicated spaces for wheelchair patrons and a family member. Some large facilities now spread wheeelchair spaces around the facility as well as provide earphones for the hearing impaired. The federal Americans with Disabilities Act is having a tremendous impact on the physical layout of places of assembly in both new and existing facilities.
State of mind. When considering the mindset of the patron, consider the impairment that alcohol or drugs will have on the individual. The use of these substances will affect their decision making and their ability to leave the structure quickly.
TYPE OF FACILITY
Another important aspect of inspecting and working places of assembly is identifying the type of facility and the problems it presents. For example, a church may present relatively few problems for the inspector. Ordinarily, burnt-out exit signs and an occasional locked door can be expected. Consider, however, the high occupant loads during the Christmas holidays. A Christmas tree blocking an exit (not to mention the fire hazard, in some cases) and extra seats in aisles can impair the means of egress.
In the case of a nightclub, a Saturday night may find the facility exceeding the allowable occupant load. It is important that these clubs be inspected at night to see the actual conditions that are present.
Theaters also must be inspected during heavy use periods. Night inspections are important, including opening nights for big movies. A recent theater example illustrates this point: We received a complaint of overcrowding from a mother who was forced to hold her child during the premiere of the movie “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.” Instead of turning away people, theater owners decided to let parents hold their children on their laps so everyone could get in. The result was an overcrowded theater with nearly double the permitted occupant load.
CONDUCTING AN INSPECTION
The three model fire prevention codes and the Life Safety Code all have chapters that deal specifically with places of public assembly. Obviously, it is important to know what is contained in these chapters before conducting an inspection.
A humorous example of knowing what’s in the code and what’s not occurred recently in San Antonio’s municipal arena. While working a rock concert in the arena, our fire inspector spotted a woman who had become thoroughly engrossed in the music. She began to dance in the aisle, oblivious to all around her. Before long, she removed her blouse as the music continued. Another woman ran up to the inspector and pointed out the now-topless woman. The horrified viewer asked, “Aren’t you going to do something about that?”
The inspector replied, “No, not unless she lights up a cigarette.”
Inspections of places of assembly commonly turn up various generic problems found in all occupancy types (nonserviced extinguishers, storage around electrical panels, and so on). The following problems, however, often are uncovered during an inspection—specifically of a place of assembly:
- Locked exit doors. This can include slide bolts on exit doors, chains around panic hardware, and dead bolts installed on the door. Recall that
- the only locking device permitted on an exit door in a place of assembly (with a few exceptions) is panic hardware.
- Nonfunctional exit signs and emergency lighting fixtures. At a recent Saturday night nightclub fire 1 attended (which fused five sprinklers over the burning dance floor “light machine”), only one out of seven emergency light fixtures worked and
- only two out of five exit signs were functional.
- Blocked exits. The placement of chairs or other obstructions in a facility can render the means of egress impassable.
- Hidden exits. Many times a facility will “hide” an exit to enhance the building’s physical appearance. Curtains, drapes, and wall coverings may conceal an exit.
- Blocked aisles. This common problem exists when a facility becomes popular—a new restaurant adds seats to accommodate additional customers, for example. It is best for a fire inspector to preapprove various code-compliant layouts of seating arrangements when the facility opens and to tell the owner to use only these arrangements. Any modifications then can be spotted easily.
- Nonbonded chairs. The use of single chairs in large assemblies is not permitted in many cases. The chairs must be bonded together in groups of threes so that they do not scatter, blocking the aisles of people attempting to leave in a hurry.
- Missing occupant load sign. Many cities issue occupant load signs for places of assembly. If missing, they must be replaced after the occupant load has been recalculated.
- Inadequate lighting of means of egress. Remember, the means of egress in a place of assembly cannot be completely dark (even though some facilities by code may have reduced lighting during a performance). It is best to take a walk through a facility during its operation to make sure that the means of egress can be seen.
WORKING A PLACE OF ASSEMBLY
Working a place of assembly means having fire inspectors (fire marshals) in attendance prior to, during, and after an event. The inspector is available to respond to emergencies as well as to ensure that the facility is in code compliance before an event starts.
In terms of where to work, some cities such as San Antonio have inspectors attend all events in public facilities such as arenas, coliseums, stadiums, convention centers, theaters, and the like. In the case of San Antonio, all contracts let out in cityowned facilities have a clause stating that fire inspectors may be required for the event, as determined by the Fire Marshal’s Office. In addition, the inspectors work in private facilities such as nightclubs and theaters w hen it appears they will be needed (also determined by the Fire Marshal’s Office).
An individual in the San Antonio Fire Department coordinates working places of assembly with the other inspectors. Weeks before the event in a public facility, a calendar is prepared to designate who is working, where they are working, and how many inspectors will be working a specific event (the number of inspectors is dictated by the type of event, attendees, and past experience). All inspectors receive overtime pay, paid by the promoter.
In terms of private facilities, a little investigative work is necessary. The department’s coordinator keeps track of who is coming to town as well as complaints of overcrowding. Night inspection “sweeps” of nightclubs are conducted periodically.
If fire inspectors are needed (as determined by the Eire Marshal’s Office) to work a private facility, our fire code allows us to charge the owner for the mandated service. Keeping in touch with ticket sales organizations gives us an idea of how many people will be attending an event.
If indoor pyrotechnic displays are desired, we require a test shoot prior to the event to determine if the display is acceptable. Records are kept of the type of display as well as the licensed pvrotechnician performing it. The approved setups are inspected at the actual event. Each device is initialed by the inspector on inspection.
It is important to work with promoters and their security staffs well before the event. Tell them what is expected of them and what you will do for them. Establish the security needs and determine what can be provided. Is their security just a teeshirt squad?
When working the event, the following are some typical procedures to follow:
- Arrive early with your radio and other fire inspectors. Check that all doors are unlocked, all fire extinguishers and standpipes are functional, public address systems are working, and seating is appropriately placed (no extra seats). Ensure that TV cameras or other obstructions have not been placed in the aisles.
- Meet with security staff (if present) to make any last-minute preparations. Know how to stop a show when a problem develops.
- As paint ns arrive, count them in (where necessary, such as in a nightclub). Make sure that the “door people” have counters. Keep an eye on crowd development outside the facility
- At theatrical events, concerts, and similar affairs, make sure everyone is seated and remains seated. People must not be able to “crowd” the stage (see sidebar on crowd crush on page 24).
- If smoking is prohibited, take appropriate action.
- If problems develop, call for help and take immediate action.
Inspecting and working places of assembly require a good knowledge of the fire code as well as an understanding of human nature. Being prepared will make your job that much easier.
(Photo courtesy of San Antonio Fire Department.)
(Photo by Mark Munoz.)
