New York City is an international mecca for all the finest food, entertainment, and tourism. There is every sort of concert, theater performance, show in the park, local ban at bars... pretty much something for every interest. Yet, while NYC is vastly entertaining, there are certain risks involved with providing this level of production. When you have large crowds gathered in one place, the safety risks increase exponentially. It can be challenging to provide for all elements of safety with crowds this size, fire safety in particular, but with certain practices in place, it can be done.

It falls on the shoulders of everyone to practice good fire safety habits, but when it comes to cases of public gatherings, owners of these large venues shoulder much of the burden. It's a little different than a small business owner providing for the fire safety of his small set of employees in an office space. When preparing for fire safety for large crowds, it's more than just checking a few items off a list; instead, it's more of an entire system and strategic plan should a fire ever occur. This involves layers of action and protection.

The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) offers us a wealth of information and practices for keeping large crowds at public gathering venues well-protected from fire. Not long ago, they performed a case study of fires that occurred in large gatherings of the public, specifically the Station Nightclub fire that occurred in 2003 in Rhode Island. 

Since the risk of a fire turning into a tragedy is multiplied when it occurs at a venue with a huge mass of people, there are certain precautions that must be attended to provide for their safety. After their study, the NFPA issued several recommendations for public venues that have large groups of people in attendance. Here's what they stated:

1. State and local codes should be created in line with national codes, with regular inspections to ensure that these codes are enforced
2. Mandatory sprinkler systems when more than 100 people are in attendance
3. Fire retardant finishing materials
4. Prohibition of indoor pyrotechnics 
5. Provisions for occupancy limits and emergency egress
6. Portable fire extinguishers
7. Emergency Response Standards for communication, mutual aid, staffing, and command structure
8. Research on human behavior in emergency situations
9. Research on fire spread and suppression
10. Research computer-aided decision tools for fire response

While we can't ever guarantee 100% protection from fire, with certain protocols in place, the odds of a fire becoming a devastating and life-threatening event are greatly reduced. It's absolutely critical that business owners, especially ones who own large venues, be aware of the threat of fire and see that every protective measure has been taken.

Certified Flameproofing is committed to doing our part to keep NYC protected from fire through our flameproofing techniques. We love to partner with business owners to see that their business locations have the maximum protection from fire. Having upholstery, fabric, curtains, drapes, carpets and other decorative items treated with flame repellents goes a long way in minimizing the horrific effects of a fire. 

If your business has questions or flameproofing needs, please call us today. We'd love to answer your questions and provide a free, no-obligation quote: 800-590-5530