Fire Regulations.

[tour monkey]

Yesterday, I was working with a production in a receiving house. (Note, I was working freelance for the visiting company) A few numbers in to the first set, I was side stage with one of the local crew, he noticed smoke across stage. He asked me if we were using haze/smoke to which I replied, no. We then hurried round to investigate, found that a parcan was burning a tab, he unplugged the can, and immediately used a CO2 extinguisher to extinguish the tab. Luckily we were just coming to the end of a number, I'd already contacted the tour manager who came on stage to address the public, we held the show while myself and the member of crew checked that problem was totally resolved, and as far as we could tell, safe. Once we were happy, and had checked everything was safe, the show restarted and ran fine.

 

Now, it occurred to me after the event, that I didn't know anything about the procedure is in this situation. I, and as far as I could tell the local crew merely went on instinct.

 

Should the public have been evacuated, fire alarms raised etc?

 

Also, should there be a designated fire officer in the building? Who is in the position to call it "safe" to restart the show?

 

What documentation should be filled out after the event, if any?

 

One other point, which no doubt has come up before but I couldn't find anything using the search function, does a Stage Manager have to be present side stage at all times during the show.? The visiting company does not supply one in this case, and at times the local crew were not on stage, it was purely by chance that the local crew member noticed smoke across stage, if nobody has to be onstage, surely this leaves potential for a minor incident like that to become something much more serious!?

 

I hope I have been clear in what I'm saying/asking here. Note, I'm not looking for anyone to put any blame on, just feel as a touring tech I really should know for definite what the procedures are!

 

Thanks in advance.

 

Olly :unsure:

[Andrew C]

Should the public have been evacuated, fire alarms raised etc? 

In your particular circumstances, no. There is considerable risk in an evac, especially if the punters smell smoke. This has to be called at the time, you cannot give a "this is what you will do" in every case.

Also, should there be a designated fire officer in the building?  Who is in the position to call it "safe" to restart the show? 

Not as I'm aware, although I am aware that some theatres have "Firemen" who presumably would make the decisions.

What documentation should be filled out after the event, if any? 

I would want to re-visit my risk assessment, and have a word in the shell-like of the muppet that did the rigging of the lantern and the black.

One other point, which no doubt has come up before but I couldn't find anything using the search function, does a Stage Manager have to be present side stage at all times during the show.? 

Olly  :unsure:

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Someone should be in the vicinity, sometimes the SM can be elsewhere. I have been here, and got the T-Shirt, in very similar circumstances.

 

Edit: Just to make it clear, this is how I see it. Others may see it otherwise.

[tour monkey]

Thanks Andrew,

 

Someone should be in the vicinity, sometimes the SM can be elsewhere.

 

Is that law? If so, does that person have be from the venue? Or is a member of visting crew sufficient? On this particular show, I'm not paid to be on stage during show, it was by chance that I and the local crew member were around at the time.

 

Olly

[Andrew C]

Thanks Andrew, 

 

Someone should be in the vicinity, sometimes the SM can be elsewhere.

 

Is that law? If so, does that person have be from the venue?

Olly

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Probably not. Unless the venues licence requires it. The ones I am familiar with don't specify anything to do with the stage crew, but they have lots to say about ushers etc.

[Suzette]

The venue's fire procedures should say who is in charge in case of emergency and who makes the decision to evacuate. I agree with Andrew that you should not have evacuated in this situation as it appears that the public were not in danger as you dealt with it it quickly. If an audience starts to panic in an evacuation then you have more danger of accidents than letting them sit there and just wait until you had checked all was safe.

If the theatre had a safety curtain then I would have dropped that in just as an extra safety for the audience and made sure the stage was clear of performers as soon as possible - there is always the danger of a fire re-igniting.

 

It should be the venue duty manager who decide when to stop a show and when to evacuate. At my last venue the technical staff were all "fire-trained" and the most senior member of the tech team was also "duty fire officer" when they were on a show.

[Just Some Bloke]

Is that law? 

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

I'd be very surprised if there is a law anywhere saying what you have to do in this sort of situation. However, the theatre should have a Health and Safety Policy (or something similar) which has evolved from a risk assessment (big buzword and required by councils' licensing officers as well as by Fire Officers of the local fire brigade). Our Policy is posted on a noticeboard backstage as well as being sent to all hirers and house technicians, and clearly states that:

 

4. A stage manager should be appointed who is in charge of health and safety on stage and in the wings at all times. This is to include get-in, fit-up, rehearsals, performances and get-outs.  If the stage manager is not in attendance on stage at any time, a deputy should have been appointed who immediately assumes the health and safety role.

 

In our case as we are a smallish venue (350 seats) we don't say the SM has to be a house technician - hirers are expected to appoint their own, contracted professional companies will either bring their own or we will appoint one of ours.

 

Stopping the show is entirely the SM's decision. Evacuating the audience is entirely the FOH Manager's decision.

 

Sounds to me like you did everything correctly in your cicumstances.

[tour monkey]

Ok Guys, thanks for all the info, thats cleared things up a little for me.

 

On the subject of the fire curtain, yes the venue did have one, however dropping it probably would of created more of a danger as the fire was directly underneath where the curtain drops.

 

Cheers for all the help.

 

Olly

[mikienorth]

Which it shouldn't really have been unless an iron waiver had been granted by licensing.

 

AFAIK the path directly beneath an iron has to be kept clear of all equipment down to a floor level, beneath which, if it is a toured floor, eg a rake or revolve, then beneath the iron line should be packed with a fire resisant material.

 

The iron is there to drop in to prevent the spread of fire and smoke from the stage into public areas, placing things underneath it will prevent it forming an effective seal...

 

Spotting that situation really is one for the house crew.

[tour monkey]

Yes Mikienorth, totally agree with you, perhaps I was a little unclear, the parcan and tab in question were just downstage of the iron line, however where, I and the house crew were stood to deal with the fire was underneath the iron. Which maybe wasn't ideal but there was a speaker stack the other side of it so it was the only place to tackle the fire from, hope that makes sense.

 

 

Olly

[mac.calder]

Any venue you work in should have some form of guidelines which deal with fires.

 

I looked through the Venue Regs for the theatre I am doing most of my work with atm, which is like most of the others I have seen.

 

Usually, either the SM or the FOH manager will be responsible for the ordering AND the carrying out of an evacuation, which means that the SM _should_ have run a brief rundown on correct evac. procedure with cast and crew BEFORE the show opens - ie which crew should do what (ie cutting power to the dimmer racks if necessary), will the actors be required to help usher audience out etc etc etc. A lot depends on whether the venue is owned by the SM's company or not.

 

I have been SM for the uni theatre here, and since we TECHNICALLY are part of the uni, and own the venue, the SM is in charge of all evacs, not FOH.

 

The SM is not required to be in the wings - in fact they are often NOT in the wings (except for opera's... it seems to be 'the thing' for opera's to call from the wings), although IIRC a member of the SM team SHOULD be in the wings at all times (preferably in direct contact with the SM) - ie an ASM.

 

Re your parcan fire, it was easily isolated and extinguished, so the actions taken out were correct.

 

Ideally venues will have a firewarden of some sort - a lot have it in the contract that a certain number of the venues staff are required to be there (at a price of course) during shows (ie members of the FOH team) and they are often firewardens (from my experience)

 

Since you were a touring company, a lot of the nitty gritty details would be in the contract between venue and visiting company, or rather buried deep within the venue's policy manuals which are dug out whenever there is a visiting company who annoys them and they want to add extra costs.

 

Since you had a local SM, I am assuming it was more in the role of a DSM (running the show), and the tour manager picked up the role of keeper of the 'talent' (aka looking after the brats/actors/performers). I would probably end up looking to the tour manager in cases like this to remain in the wings, unless you had a local ASM as well.

[Just Some Bloke]

Usually, either the SM or the FOH manager will be responsible for the ordering AND the carrying out of an evacuation,

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I'm not keen on the number of qualifiers in that sentence. "Usually" followed by "either" could lead to trouble. It's much safer to have a blanket rule that always happens so you don't end up with no-one taking a decision because they think it's not their job. The SM decides whether to stop the performance and the FOH Manager decides whether to evacuate the punters: end of story. Everyone knows whose job it is. If the wrong decision is made we all know whose fault it is! Obviously, you'd expect some liaison between the two in circumstances like the ones described above, but there must be a precise ruling on who should make decisions like that which could cost lives if ignored.

[V.A.]

Usually, either the SM or the FOH manager will be responsible for the ordering AND the carrying out of an evacuation,

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I'm not keen on the number of qualifiers in that sentence. "Usually" followed by "either" could lead to trouble. It's much safer to have a blanket rule that always happens so you don't end up with no-one taking a decision because they think it's not their job. The SM decides whether to stop the performance and the FOH Manager decides whether to evacuate the punters: end of story. Everyone knows whose job it is. If the wrong decision is made we all know whose fault it is! Obviously, you'd expect some liaison between the two in circumstances like the ones described above, but there must be a precise ruling on who should make decisions like that which could cost lives if ignored.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Surely though it would make more sene for one person to be in overall command during an emergency situation? Having multiple lines of command can only lead to confusion...

[Andrew C]

Yes & No. SM should take care of evacuating B/S and FoH manager the punters. Either should be in a position to order the evac, and instruct the other to take care of their respective areas. The FoH manager can't see what is going on back stage and visa-versa.

[Rich newby]

I would check up to make sure it would never happen. cheak records to see when they were sprayed with fire retardent spray. and if they wernt then try to get money from the theatre for the spray.