Code words?

[Mush]

Rhode Island Fire

http://www.roadie.net/gamma%20fire%20picture.jpg

[Tom]

"Ladies and Gentlemen, due to circumstances beyond our control...

I was advised ( a long time ago) not to use this phrase as suggesting that things are out of control was not very reassuring.

 

If "Mr Sands" is in the Foyer then the coded message should say this so that those doors can be secured against smoke etc and Jo Public pushed out another way

I have to say I'm always slightly concerned that the evacuation procedures that I've seen in different theatres do not take this into account.

[ma9bcs]

I work in the Bristol University Union Theatres and we use the code words Mr Sands (for fires) and Mr Mayo (for bomb threats) which in recent evacuations we have found not only keep the audience calm and crew informed but also reduce the number of mis calls

 

Ian

UBU-STA

Nice to see Bristol Uni borrowing documentation from Bath Uni's Website... Mr. Mayo was a real person at Bath and the code word was created in honour of his graduation.

[la grande homme]

I wouldn't have thought you wood get many 'bombs' in theatre. But then again I dont work in the industry yet.

 

So im just wondering do you get many threats etc?

think about what happened in moscow a couple of years ago...

[Mush]

Boss I used to have, was a cub reporter back in 1973 and reported on the Summerland disaster, long story short many died because of chained fire exits.

 

http://www.iomfire.com/main/Summerland.htm

 

As technical director he would personally check every fire exit in the building before allowing the doors to open to the public.

 

Fire can strike on the most dull, mundane, wet Wednesday when you least expect it, if it does, having a code and procedure in place will seem like the best idea you have ever had.

[Jivemaster]

CHAINBOARDS The chains should be in a safe place on a shadow board so that they are seen and checked to be OFF the doors. The chains should be kept AWAY from the doors and NOT stored on the door as the sight of a chain can make a door seem locked or the chain can be used to tie the door locked. Remember fire is only a hazard when it is unexpected and you are un-prepared.

 

Any pre prepared message should inspire confidence and allow for flexibility. " L & G, it is important that the theatre is evacuated Please follow the Stewards' instructions and leave immediately" allows you to secure a dangerous exit.

 

Plan it script it and perfect it to your evac plan then ensure that several techs know how and when to use it.

 

The security team responsible for planning should plan for taking casualties themselves and the team still functioning, Try your plan through then knock out two top people and see if it still works.

[James C]

I remember seeing a notice in the dressing room at Bedlam Theatre in Edinburgh. Apparently the Fire code-word was: "Pink Elephants are falling from the sky in the..." by which time, no doubt, the entire building would have been engulfed in flames :(

[Ike]

Or tried to rush to see the pink elephants!

[Jivemaster]

The code words Must be chosen for concise use in a sentence and Must be used with description to convey the location of the incident.

Mr Sands is in the foyer with his friends, Would Tom Dick and Mary please go to see them. Says What and where the hazard is Who should attend and just needs follow up to specify an evacuation procedure via specified exits.

Whoever finds a fire or sees a panel indication should know who to call immediately and they must know who to call to get the info to all ASAP. A full information tree must operate so that the whole evac team knows and fast.

The team of door supervisers in a Night Club May not be the best people to plan the procedures and must not be allowed to use their own plan instead of the official one

[landy]

I wouldn't have thought you wood get many 'bombs' in theatre. But then again I dont work in the industry yet.

 

I have been caught up in 1hoax we just un loaded the waggon the had to leave for 2 hours but got the gig on for the 4.30 show.

 

Also venues who host military bands areenough of a risk to warrant bomb searches. The venue I was at also was targeted although the device failed.

Plus I've been involved in several fires

 

1 code words and procedures are a good idea :(

 

2 if you employ me have insurance (the fires have stopped at the old venue) :P

[Chris Higgs]

The planning and implementation of raising the alarm, evacuation and fire fighting is the responsibility of the employer, not the technicians.

In the school/university world, the estates and health and safety department should have this under control if there is no licencing requirement.

Your efforts might be better directed toward finding out what the evacuation procedure actually is.

If you have a licence, you will already have a procedure.

This is more scary than the rigging debates!

I quote "fire is only a hazard when you are un-prepared for it" - WHAT?

Stop this, it is crazy, unless I have totally missed the point.

What next, instructions on how to evacaute a building?

 

How about discussing ways of discouraging people from smoking or not wiring electrical things without qualifications?

 

Rant only just begun.......................

[Ike]

Hmm, I was thinking of this topic along the lines of a somewhat light hearted conversation about what people do in various venues, I would certainly not pretend that a single set of guidelines are suitable for every venue or that I am in any way competent to describe them if they did exist.

If anyone has read anything I have written in this topic and taken it as advice I would strongly suggest you rethink your actions, I certainly didn't mean for them to be taken that way.

 

Sorry for any confusion,

 

Ike

[sam.henderson]

In a venue I have worked in on activation of the fire alarm the stage door man had the facilitys to play a message something like; "Ladies and Gentlemen due to cirumstances out of our control tonights performance is being suspended. Please listen to our Stuards who will direct you out in a safe mannor". Then the FOH manager with his assistant would stand at the bottom of the auditorium trying to calm people while each stuard took a door.

 

Another venue I worked in when the stuards went to the doors the had like these light sabor things to help direct people over to there exit.

 

Sam

[Mush]

Stop this, it is crazy, unless I have totally missed the point.

 

With respect, I beleive you have.

 

The Original Poster asked about code words and procedures in the event of a potential emergency. He asked if code words and procedures were `over the top ` for a school.

 

Examples have been given of procedures used in other venues and an example of what can happen in a small venue without procedures, the Rhode Island Station fire and a large venue without correct procedures, Summerland.

 

For the Original Poster`s benefit ,

 

NO it is not over the top to have code words to avoid panicing the public

 

It is not over the top to have clear evacuation procedures that EVERYONE, technicians, performers, front of house staff , teachers and students, everyone involved with the production is FAMILIAR with.

 

People take time to react to a fire or other emergency, like winning the lottery, it dosen`t happen to them, they will dis-believe that there is a risk until it is overwhelmingly clear that they and others are in danger, this is where drummed in, automatic reflex, well rehearsed procedures pay.

[Brian]

I think a very good example of how emergency procedures fall apart in the heat of the moment is the incident in the Commons a couple of days ago.

 

As I understand it, the correct procedure was for everyone to stay in the chamber until instructed and yet, at the sign of danger, they did exactly the opposite. And these aren't your average joe-public, these are (despite what we may think of them), for the most part, highly intelligent professionals.