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Students and Novice Stage Managers / Re: Dry Ice on stage
« on: Sep 23, 2008, 01:58 am »
A good clue is to check with the venue Duty tech or Management on the procedure of isolating a detector zone, on stage &/or other areas that errant smoke may set off an alarm. Such as air return AC ducts & roof void detectors or the like, which the venue people should be able to advise on.
If you receive a rather blank look from them, a quick inspection of the main Fire alarm panel [FIP], as it will have the isolation instructions on the inside of the FIP door. Also there should be a fire Zone Map of the building, located adjacent to the Panel, which will correspond to the numbered zones on the FIP switch & indicator board.
As Mattciulla correctly posted the sprinkler system is activated by direct heat & not smoke. However if the venue is not fitted with a fire curtain [Iron], they may have a Deluge system behind the Pro arch. Which is normally needs to be activated by separate detectors, which can be either smoke, heat or both types - Which can be a trap for new players!
{The first fire heat detector was an actual block of butter, holding apart two plates. When it was hot enough to melt the block of butter, the plates closed together & activated the Iron [fire curtain] - these days they are either a manual operation or a fused link acting in much the same way as the butter.}
With smoke there is three types generally used in venues, these are Photoelectric, Ionisation or VESDA [very Early Smoke Detection Apparatus]. The later is an air sampling system, which is noticeable through out a venue, by runs of conduit, with 5mm holes visible along the pipes length.
Also to protect your own & the companies R Send as well. Ensure that the use of smoke, during the performance, is stated on yours & the Venue show specs.
Then it is down to the house to go thru the procedure, isolate the Zone, the Direct brigade Alarm [DBA] & notify the local Fire Service of the time period zones will be isolated for.
While this shifts the onus from the SM, it is always a good to add this to your 'idiot checks' list prior to the show. By ensuring it has been done, rather than panicking 2 seconds before the smoke cue. Which is always exciting when the realisation registers with you or you hear the alarm bells. The loading dock door flies open & all the soft hangings are sucked up by large roof exhaust fans, into the fly loft.
If you receive a rather blank look from them, a quick inspection of the main Fire alarm panel [FIP], as it will have the isolation instructions on the inside of the FIP door. Also there should be a fire Zone Map of the building, located adjacent to the Panel, which will correspond to the numbered zones on the FIP switch & indicator board.
As Mattciulla correctly posted the sprinkler system is activated by direct heat & not smoke. However if the venue is not fitted with a fire curtain [Iron], they may have a Deluge system behind the Pro arch. Which is normally needs to be activated by separate detectors, which can be either smoke, heat or both types - Which can be a trap for new players!
{The first fire heat detector was an actual block of butter, holding apart two plates. When it was hot enough to melt the block of butter, the plates closed together & activated the Iron [fire curtain] - these days they are either a manual operation or a fused link acting in much the same way as the butter.}
With smoke there is three types generally used in venues, these are Photoelectric, Ionisation or VESDA [very Early Smoke Detection Apparatus]. The later is an air sampling system, which is noticeable through out a venue, by runs of conduit, with 5mm holes visible along the pipes length.
Also to protect your own & the companies R Send as well. Ensure that the use of smoke, during the performance, is stated on yours & the Venue show specs.
Then it is down to the house to go thru the procedure, isolate the Zone, the Direct brigade Alarm [DBA] & notify the local Fire Service of the time period zones will be isolated for.
While this shifts the onus from the SM, it is always a good to add this to your 'idiot checks' list prior to the show. By ensuring it has been done, rather than panicking 2 seconds before the smoke cue. Which is always exciting when the realisation registers with you or you hear the alarm bells. The loading dock door flies open & all the soft hangings are sucked up by large roof exhaust fans, into the fly loft.
