Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: False Fire Alarm Incident

This is topic False Fire Alarm Incident in forum Ground Level at Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE.

To visit this topic, use this URL:
https://ft-forum.com/ft/cgi-bin/ubb/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=5;t=001713

Posted by Chad M Calpito (Member # 3736) on 06-13-2006, 11:32 AM:

Last night, while getting ready to head to Projector #10 to shut it down for the night, the Fire Alarm System was activated by some stupid kids. This caused both Projectors #1 & #10 to shut down automatically since those are wired into the Alarm System. But, my remaining projectors that were running (#3, #6 & #9), I had to shut off manually.

Anyway, the Fire Department Came along with police. Luckily, there wasn't a fire, but, the customers were inconvenienced. Of course, Re-Admission Tickets were handed out to the remaining customers. After about 40-50 minutes of trying to deactivate the Fire Alarm System, I re-started #3, #6 & #9. But, the alarm system was still going and I could not do a regular re-start of #1 & #10, so I just did a manual start using the CNA-100 Automation.

Anyway, to the point, who else has experienced a False Fire Alarm incident, whether it be Floor Staff, Management, etc? I ask because this is my 3rd time going through this (twice at Regal Cinemas & once here at Pacific Theatres Grossmont Center 10).

Luckily, the False Fire Alarm incident happened during the last part of our Late Set, since five auditoriums were completely empty after the last shows.

Posted by John T. Hendrickson, Jr (Member # 849) on 06-13-2006, 06:50 PM:

We've had this happen several times. When the alarm goes off, for whatever reason (hand pull, heat sensor, smoke sensor) all of our projectors shut down. I have 10 screens with CNA 100 automation, and three with Kelmar, and the shutdown is instantaneous.

I'm curious to understand why three of your projectors did not shut down. If that problem persists, you should get a tech in to check it out.

In our situation, the Fire Marshall has to reset the alarm system, and you can't restart until that is done by him. If anyone else were to attempt to reset the alarm, it would land them in big trouble.

Posted by David Buckley (Member # 2600) on 06-13-2006, 11:34 PM:

There are ways to help the false alarm problem.

In the UK its common (but not universal) practice at live theatres to have the fire alarm system operate a few red lights in specific areas, so that the management and staff have a chance to evaluate if there really is a fire and if there isn't then to cancel the alarm. If not cancelled the system goes into full alarm after 30 secs or a minute usually. If two or more sensors trigger then a full alarm is immediately triggered.

If you have a lot of false alarm problems and the local fire people are amenable, you could do the same thing. In the UK if you called the fire brigade out for a falsie there used to be heinous charges for wasting their time, but I dont know if that is still the case.

Posted by Robert Burtcher (Member # 3227) on 06-13-2006, 11:53 PM:

quote: John T. Hendrickson, Jr
I'm curious to understand why three of your projectors did not shut down.

quote: Chad M Calpito
This caused both Projectors #1 & #10 to shut down automatically since those are wired into the Alarm System. But, my remaining projectors that were running (#3, #6 & #9), I had to shut off manually.

I read this as saying that #1 & #10 are wired into the alarm system, but the others are not.

Posted by Chad M Calpito (Member # 3736) on 06-13-2006, 11:56 PM:

The reason why three of my projectors didn't shut down instantaneously is because they were not hooked up to the Fire Alarm System. The only ones that are hooked up are projectors #1 & #10. Those are the Simplex Highlight II's with CNA-100 Automation. The 10 screen complex I work at started out as a 3 screen, then grew to an 8-plex, then in 1998, grew to a 10-plex. Anyway, I agree that all projectors should be hooked up to the alarm system. Plus, you brought up a good point to discuss this with the technician. Thanks for the tip, John.

Anyway, you are correct, Robert, that #2-#9 aren't wired into the system.

Posted by Jason Winn (Member # 3568) on 06-14-2006, 12:29 AM:

This happened once at the theatre I used to work at. I think it was a Friday night. It was probably around 10 or 11 PM. The fire alarm went off. All the projectors shut off right away. It was a false alarm though. A manager got on the PA system to inform everyone that it was just a false alarm. Then, we had to restart each projector one at a time. I don't understand why kids think it's so funny to pull the fire alarm. They're freakin' stupid!

Posted by Chad M Calpito (Member # 3736) on 06-14-2006, 12:44 AM:

I agree with you, Jason. I did forget to mention that we have these stupid, idiot kids on our security cameras and the Grossmont Center Mall got the make & model of their car as well as the car's license plate number.

When this incident took place, I got all pissed off. [Mad]

Posted by Christopher Crouch (Member # 3784) on 06-14-2006, 01:04 AM:

I've been through that quite a few times. In particular, I worked at a theatre that had a pull station next to a rear hallway exit door, adjascent to a payphone. Talk about enticing would-be trouble makers. We were having near weekly false alarms for a while. Then, we installed one of those alarm hoods over the pull station. In order to pull the lever, the person had to remove the plastic hood, which sounded a localized alarm of it's own. The high pitched squeel of that alarm hood managed to scare off most false pull attempts.

Posted by Jack Ondracek (Member # 1466) on 06-14-2006, 03:26 AM:

quote: John T. Hendrickson, Jr
In our situation, the Fire Marshall has to reset the alarm system, and you can't restart until that is done by him. If anyone else were to attempt to reset the alarm, it would land them in big trouble.

Amazing, how cities can have very different approaches to this.

When the fire marshal inspected my indoor theatre, he specifically authorized a system whereby all public pull stations would show at an annunciator station in the concessions area. A manager would then investigate the situation and, if necessary, activate the alarm that would shut down the booth and call the fire department. There was a delay involved which would automatically set off the alarm after a certain time if the manager did not reset the system or set it off himself.

Smoke and heat detectors automatically fired off the full alarm. However, the Fire Marshal recognized the disruption that a public pull station could have, and allowed for the modified system.

Posted by Louis Bornwasser (Member # 3063) on 06-14-2006, 08:08 AM:

Given that there are more "falses" than real alarms and given that epileptic seizures are not that rare, it has occurred to me that the STROBE is a very bad thing. Louis

Posted by Dennis Benjamin (Member # 1137) on 06-14-2006, 08:24 AM:

The city of Las Vegas has the right idea:

No pull alarms!

They do have extremely strict fire alarm codes, due to the MGM fire back in the day. I think I have had an idiot teenager pull an alarm at every other theatre that I have worked at - except in Vegas! However, Las Vegas is where I had an actual theatre fire. A six year old child got a hold of some matches (from a local casino) that he had found on the ground. He had auditorium #8 lit up like a Christmas Tree. Lesson I learned that day: While the cloth on the outside of a theatre chair is fireproof, once a match burns a hole through the material - the foam inside will put off 4 foot flames!

[eyes]

Posted by Mark Hajducki (Member # 1732) on 06-14-2006, 08:48 AM:

quote: David Buckley
In the UK its common (but not universal) practice at live theatres to have the fire alarm system operate a few red lights in specific areas, so that the management and staff have a chance to evaluate if there really is a fire and if there isn't then to cancel the alarm. If not cancelled the system goes into full alarm after 30 secs or a minute usually. If two or more sensors trigger then a full alarm is immediately triggered.

Worked in a complex with that system, the main problem was if an alarm was triggered somewhere else in the building it could not always be reset in time. The site also ran a staged evacuation (screen by screen) to reduce loads on the escape stairs.

quote:
In the UK if you called the fire brigade out for a falsie there used to be heinous charges for wasting their time, but I don't know if that is still the case.

I think that is no longer the case (unless you have lots of call outs) since the advice given is to call the fire brigade if you suspect a fire. (automatic callouts are required for most large buildings)

quote: Louis Bornwasser
Given that there are more "falses" than real alarms and given that epileptic seizures are not that rare, it has occurred to me that the STROBE is a very bad thing.

The strobes used are the 'security' type that flash once or twice a second (like the lights on emergency vehicles), not a disco type strobe.

Posted by David L Parlier (Member # 1944) on 06-14-2006, 09:58 AM:

quote:
Jack Ondracek wrote: When the fire marshal inspected my indoor theatre, he specifically authorized a system whereby all public pull stations would show at an annunciator station in the concessions area.

This sounds very similar to the system that we had installed at my theater and indeed it is convenient. However, there are some major problems with this type of system and I would suggest you go back and read the Fire Marshal's wordage. I recently went back and reviewed our fire procedure policy because I questioned this type of system for safety reasons. What I found was that the now retired fire marshal authorized our current type of system but he wrote it up to completely 100% protect himself from liability. I am sure he knew this type of system was not ideal and or certainly not the safest for the general public but was the easiest for the owners of the theater.

Liability upon the general managers and or owners of theaters should be a major concern especially after the night club fire a while back. It should also be noted that in the state of NC and our county there are no "grandfather claus" when it comes to fire inspection. So, with my knowledge in the fire business and with the current fire inspector we have been working over the past year to get the theater up to current standards and to protect the owners for a future fire. Just something to consider!

Posted by Jack Ondracek (Member # 1466) on 06-14-2006, 10:59 AM:

Good points, David.
This system was actually an upgrade from the one that was in the building before I got it. The previous system ONLY signalled in the lobby, and any call to the fire department had to be made manually... by phone!

I don't know that there's a universal "grandfather clause" here, either... but changes are usually required when a building has been closed for awhile... and major changes (sprinklers, etc) when repurposing a structure.

Posted by John-Layton Jenkins (Member # 2080) on 06-14-2006, 12:32 PM:

When I worked at the UA MacArthur back when we did the midnight showing of The Two Towers, someone pulled the alarm twice that night, but both times before the shows started. The first time, some people got up and wandered around. The 2nd time, not one person moved. I went out to the lobby and there were maybe 4-10 people asking what was going on. We had 3 sold out screens, roughly 1400 people, and they were ready to burn to death to watch that movie.

Posted by David L Parlier (Member # 1944) on 06-14-2006, 12:35 PM:

Yeah, it seems here that the fire inspector can actually force you to change anything he feels is necessary whether the building is currently open, been closed, or being remodeling. The code book also allows him to interrupt the codes as he understands them. So, you might have one fire inspector enforcing something that other fire inspector doesn't feel is necessary. The last time I spoke with him he said that the codes could get tougher because the state was talking about going to the internationally fire codes.

Posted by John T. Hendrickson, Jr (Member # 849) on 06-14-2006, 07:54 PM:

In our locale, once the alarm goes off we are obligated to evacuate the building. No ifs, ands, or buts. The trucks roll and we are given the "all clear" by the local officials to return to the building.

We undergo a yearly inspection, top to bottom, and must comply with the directives we are given.

Posted by Dave Williams (Member # 299) on 06-14-2006, 11:43 PM:

While getting a theater ready for reopening after its previous chain had sold it, I inadverdantly activated the fire alarm at two in the morning... once it was set off, the fire department had to come down with their trucks and check the place, then reset it.

Now when I say inadverdantly... thats what I told the fire department. I actually was messing around after two days of no sleep and tripped the thing thinking I was tied into the pa system, and instead tripped the alarm and couldnt shut it off.

oops.

ciao