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The Commerce
Department's National Institute of Standards and Technology
(NIST) today launched an investigation into the tragic fire
of Feb. 20, 2003, at The Station nightclub in West Warwick,
R.I. The work is being conducted under the authorities of
the National Construction Safety Team (NCST) Act. NIST will
lead a team of public and private-sector fire and safety experts
to carry out the investigation.
Under
the act, NIST is responsible for conducting fact-finding investigations
of building-related failures that result in substantial loss
of life.
The team's
primary objectives will be to:
- determine
the conditions in the nightclub prior to the fire, such
as the materials of construction and contents; the location
and conditions of doors, windows and ventilation; the installed
fire protection systems; the number of occupants and their
approximate locations;
- reconstruct
the fire ignition, fire spread and survivability within
the building using computer models;
- examine
the impact on survivability of having an installed sprinkler
system, all other conditions being the same; and
- analyze
the emergency evacuation and occupant responses to better
understand the impediments to safe egress.
The NIST
investigation will be conducted in close cooperation with
the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF); the Centers
for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC); the U.S. Fire Administration
(USFA); the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA); and
state and local fire and law enforcement agencies.
The decision
to launch the NIST investigation was made following an onsite
evaluation conducted Feb. 22-23, 2003, by two NIST fire researchers,
and discussions with other investigators on the scene in Rhode
Island.
The NIST
investigation could result in recommendations for specific
changes to building codes, standards and practices.
Pursuant
to Section 13 of the NCST Act, no part of any report resulting
from this investigation shall be admitted as evidence or used
in any suit or action for damages arising out of any matter
mentioned in such a report. Additionally, NIST employees are
not permitted to serve as expert witnesses.
More
information about the NCST may be found online at www.nist.gov/public_affairs/factsheet/constructionact.htm.
For background on NIST's more than 30 years of experience
investigating building fire and structural failures, go to
www.nist.gov/public_affairs/factsheet/bfrlinvestigations.htm.
As a
non-regulatory agency of the U.S. Department of Commerce's
Technology Administration, NIST develops and promotes measurement,
standards and technology to enhance productivity, facilitate
trade and improve the quality of life.
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