tony Posted July 21, 2003 Share Posted July 21, 2003 The local theatre which I use has recently fitted new smoke detecters that are so good if you try to use haze on stage never mind any sort of pyro effect it sets of the alarms and brings out the fire brigadeIt makes for very intertesting Dress Rehearsals has any else worked in such a restrictive theatre Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gareth Posted July 22, 2003 Share Posted July 22, 2003 Any fire alarm system in a place of entertainment should be able to operate in a 'performance' and 'non-performance' mode (i.e. 'performance' mode does not go straight into evac when a smoke head triggers - it should allow time for investigation and reset first, usually a minute or two). It should allow the smoke heads in performance areas to be isolated during the use of pyro & smoke effects, on the proviso that these areas are continually monitored by human beans during these times. The spec for the system in this theatre should have taken these things into account. If it did, and the installers ignored it, they should be made to come and put things right immediately. If the spec did not mention these things, the person who wrote it evidently has no idea about what they're doing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
James C Posted July 22, 2003 Share Posted July 22, 2003 It wouldn't do any harm to bring your local fire brigade in to talk about solutions. I) they may have both short-term (while you raise the cash for alterations) and long-term (what to do with the cash) solutions - I once worked at a Dance school where the music practice-room alarms went off when they were being used as dressing-rooms (usually too much hairspray, or hair-dryers pointing at the sensors), and the fire brigade's advice was to cover them over with tape as long as the rooms were periodically checked etc, and then to expose the sensors again when they reverted to music practice-rooms. A perfectly sensible solution, if monitored properly, but a decision that I was very glad they made for me! ii) I assume that they're getting more than a little pi ed off with all the call-outs - might be good PR to show them that you're addressing the situation, and that you value their input. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martin Posted July 22, 2003 Share Posted July 22, 2003 If it is a modern programmable system then it should be relatively easy for the engineer to add a 'performance mode'. We have a 'performance mode' keyswitch that disables all the sensors on the stage and auditorium. It also switches off the door magnets onto the stage, to stop stage smoke spreading to un-isolated areas. We also have an 'ocupied delay' mode, for when all foh & backstage staff are in the building. This gives us 5 min's to investigate the cause of the alarm, before going into full evacuation mode. If a system doesn't have this then it still should be possible to isolate individual sensors from the main pannel. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andy_s Posted July 24, 2003 Share Posted July 24, 2003 sensors - who'd have them? I worked at a concert hall for a bit where the isolated areas would change from day to day and there were preset codes and also the ability to isolate individual sensors. This worked fine so long as you knew where the catering team were going to set up that day - if as occasionally happened it got too hot in the kitchen and they moved their gas stove into the stairwell, we had visits from the fire brigade. financially, it will eventually be worthwhile doing the necessary mods to give a performance mode, as in my experience firebrigeds work on a three strike and you're out basis, and start charging money if they receive too many false alarm call-outs Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thirdtap Posted July 31, 2003 Share Posted July 31, 2003 'LoI was once told about a theatre where the emergency lights had to be on all the time. The instruction came from the licensing officer. Yep this included all the emergency lights on or around the stage. A theatre that never has a blackout? Very strange. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kate Posted July 31, 2003 Share Posted July 31, 2003 We found out the other day that the particle sensor in the roof of the auditorium, which is part of our new fire alarm system, is so sensitive that even the presence of an audience will put it two points closer to alarm mode. We have to get it isolated before we can do any work on stage. Now some genius is insisting we need to apply in writing for it to be isolated. Life would be great if it weren't for other people. :D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dominicgross Posted August 5, 2003 Share Posted August 5, 2003 Our theatre has smoke detectors directly over the stage :( . We came up with a solution of course, gaffa tape a plastic bowl over it. H&S eat your hearts out!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peter Posted August 5, 2003 Share Posted August 5, 2003 I can beat that. Our local amdram chief LX's day job is for an alarm company. He brings in the original packaging for the smoke heads, which appears to the untrained eye like a kids party jelly and ice cream bowl, but infact clips right over the smoke head and stays in pace. Theorteically. We've only evacuated once....1000 people out in the pooring rain, because the smoke cap fell off. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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