Full list of recommendations
Complete
Report: Volume 1 (.pdf; requires Acrobat
Reader)
Appendices:
Volume 2 (.pdf;
requires Acrobat
Reader)
GAITHERSBURG,
MD — The U.S. Commerce Department’s
National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) today
urged all state and local governments to adopt and aggressively
enforce national model building and fire safety codes for
nightclubs. Additionally, in a report released today, NIST
called for some significant changes to further strengthen
the model codes based on the findings from the agency’s
investigation of the Feb. 20, 2003, fire at The Station
nightclub in W. Warwick, R.I. The investigation
concluded that “strict adherence
to the 2003 model codes available at the time of the
fire would go a long way to preventing similar tragedies
in the future. Changes to the codes subsequent to the
fire made them stronger. By making some additional changes—and
state and local agencies adopting and enforcing them—we
can strengthen occupant safety even further.”
“Based on our investigation findings and the comments
received on our draft report, we are today making 10
recommendations in our final report for increased occupant
safety in nightclubs that reinforce the current model
codes and proposing additional changes that will make
them even more effective,” said Lead Investigator
William Grosshandler.
Seven of the
10 NIST recommendations support and add to the actions
already taken by the State of Rhode Island
and national model code development organizations since
The Station nightclub fire. The remaining three NIST
recommendations call for more research on human behavior
in emergencies, fire spread and suppression, and computer-aided
decision tools—the data from which could yield
further improvements in and maximize the effectiveness
of these lifesaving regulations.
The first recommendation urges all state and local
jurisdictions to:
- adopt
a building and fire code covering nightclubs based on
one of the national model codes—as a minimum
requirement—and update local codes as the national
standards are revised;
- implement
aggressive and effective fire inspection and enforcement
programs that address all aspects of
these codes; and
- ensure
that enough fire inspectors and building plan examiners—professionally qualified to a national
standard—are on staff to carry out this work.
“It
is important to note that state or local building regulations—rather
than model codes—govern building design, construction
and operation,” according
to the NIST report.
Recommendations
2 and 3 address the use of automatic fire sprinkler systems
for extinguishing fires in nightclubs and limiting the flammability
of
materials used as finish products to prevent
such fires in the first place. NIST recommends that the
current—and
recently strengthened—National Fire
Protection Association (NFPA) Standard for
the Installation of Sprinkler
Systems (NFPA 13) be adopted, implemented and enforced for all new nightclubs regardless
of size, and for existing nightclubs with an occupancy
limit greater than 100 people. Materials that ignite
easily and propagate flames rapidly such as non-fire
retarded flexible polyurethane foam should be clearly
identifiable and be specifically forbidden as a finish
material for all new and existing nightclubs, according
to the NIST report.
Recommendation 4 calls for the NFPA 1126 standard on
the use of pyrotechnics before an audience to be strengthened
by addressing the need for automatic sprinkler systems;
minimum occupancy/building size levels; the posting of
pyrotechnic use plans and emergency procedures; and setting
new minimum clearances between pyrotechnics and the items
they potentially could ignite.
Recommendation 5 calls for changes in national model
codes that increase the factor of safety for determining
occupancy limits in all new and existing nightclubs.
These include setting a maximum permitted evacuation
time (90 seconds for nightclubs similar in size to or
smaller than The Station), calculating the number of
required exits and permitted occupancies (assuming that
at least one exit will be inaccessible during an emergency),
increasing staff training and evacuation planning, and
improving means for occupants to locate emergency routes
when standard exit signs are obscured by smoke.
Recommendation 6 addresses portable fire extinguishers,
calling for a better understanding of the numbers, placement
locations and staff training required to ensure their
effective use.
Recommendation 7 calls for developing and implementing
effective and interoperable communications for mass casualty
events within and between first responder organizations.
Again, NIST recommends that state and local jurisdictions
adopt existing model standards on communications, mutual
aid, command structure and staffing.
Finally, recommendations 8 through 10 address critically
needed research to serve as the basis for further improvements
in codes, standards and practices. NIST urges studies
be conducted to:
- better
understand human behavior in emergency situations and
to predict the impact of building design on safe
egress in emergencies;
- better
understand fire spread and suppression; and
- develop
and refine computer models and computer-aided decision
tools that communities can use to make cost-effective
choices about code changes, fire safety technologies
and emergency resource allocations.
NIST
will work with the major organizations representing state
and local officials—including mayors,
state legislators and county executives,
as well as building and fire officials—to
encourage them to seriously consider
the recommendations of The Station
nightclub investigation report. Via a
special Web site (linked from http://www.nist.gov/ncst),
NIST will track progress in adopting
its recommendations.
Details
on all 10 recommendations may be found on the Web at http://www.nist.gov/public_affairs/factsheet/RI_recomm_factsheet.htm.
More information on The Station nightclub
fire investigation,
including a summary of the key findings,
is available at the same address.
The Station nightclub fire investigation, begun on Feb.
27, 2003, was conducted under the National Construction
Safety Team (NCST) Act. The act gives NIST the responsibility
for conducting technical investigations of building-related
failures that result in substantial loss of life. NIST
has no regulatory authority under the NCST Act.
For the investigation,
Grosshandler teamed with NIST researchers Nelson Bryner
and Daniel Madrzykowski, and
fire studies specialist Kenneth Kuntz of the Department
of Homeland Security’s U.S. Fire Administration.
The primary objectives of the NIST Rhode Island nightclub
fire investigation were to:
- determine
the conditions in the nightclub prior to the fire;
- reconstruct
the fire ignition, fire spread and survivability using
computer models;
- examine
the impact on survivability if a sprinkler system had
been installed; and
- analyze
the emergency evacuation and occupant responses to better
understand the impediments to safe egress.
As an 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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