Recommendations—NIST
Investigation of The Station Nightclub Fire
Recommendation
1. Model Code Adoption and Enforcement: NIST
recommends that all state and local jurisdictions:
a) 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 model
codes are revised;
b) implement aggressive
and effective fire inspection and enforcement programs that address:
(i) all aspects of those codes; (ii) documentation of building permits
and alterations; (iii) means of egress inspection and record keeping;
(iv) frequency and rigor of fire inspections, including follow-up
and auditing procedures; and (v) guidelines on recourse available
to the inspector for identified deviations from code provisions;
and
c) ensure that
enough fire inspectors and building plan examiners are on staff to
do the job and that they are professionally qualified to a national
standard such as NFPA 1031 (Professional Qualifications for Fire
Inspector and Plan Examiner).
Recommendation
2. Sprinklers: NIST recommends that model codes require
sprinkler systems according to NFPA 13 (Standard for the Installation
of Sprinkler Systems), and that state and local authorities adopt
and aggressively enforce this provision:
a) for all new
nightclubs regardless of size, and
b) for existing
nightclubs with an occupancy limit greater than 100 people.
Recommendation
3. Finish Materials and Building Contents: NIST recommends
that:
a) state and local
authorities adopt and aggressively enforce the existing provisions
of the model codes;
b) non-fire retarded
flexible polyurethane foam, and other materials that ignite as easily
and propagate flames as rapidly as non-fire retarded flexible polyurethane
foam: (i) be clearly identifiable to building owners, operators,
contractors and authorities having jurisdiction (regulatory agencies);
and (ii) be specifically forbidden, with no exceptions, as finish
materials from all new and existing nightclubs;
c) NFPA 286 (Standard
Methods of Fire Tests for Evaluating Contribution of Wall and Ceiling
Interior Finish to Room Fire Growth) be modified to provide more
explicit guidance for when large-scale tests are required to demonstrate
that materials (other than those already forbidden in b above) do
not pose an undue hazard for the use intended; and
d) ASTM E-84 (Standard
Test Method for Surface Burning Characteristics of Building Materials),
NFPA 255 (Standard Method of Test of Surface Burning Characteristics
of Building Materials), and NFPA 286 be modified to ensure that product
classification and the pass/fail criteria for flame spread tests
and large-scale tests are established using the best measurement
and prediction practices available.
Recommendation
4. Indoor Use of Pyrotechnics: NIST recommends that NFPA
1126 (Use of Pyrotechnics before a Proximate Audience) be strengthened
as described below, and that state and local authorities adopt and
aggressively enforce the revised standard.
a) Pyrotechnic
devices should be banned from indoor use in new and existing nightclubs
not equipped with an NFPA 13 compliant automatic sprinkler system.
b) NFPA 1126 should
be modified to include a minimum occupancy and/or area for a nightclub
below which pyrotechnic devices should be banned from indoor use,
irrespective of the installation of an automatic sprinkler system.
c) Plans for the
use of indoor pyrotechnics in new and existing nightclubs should
be posted on site; and in addition to the items listed in paragraph
4.3.2 of NFPA 1126, should describe the measures that have been established
to provide crowd management, security, fire protection, and other
emergency services.
d) Section 6.6.2
of NFPA 1126 should be modified to require the minimum clearance
between (i) the nearest fixed or moveable contents, and (ii) any
part or product (igniter, spark, projectile, or debris) of a pyrotechnic
device permitted for indoor use in new and existing places of assembly,
to be twice the designed projection of the device, until such time
that studies show that a smaller minimum clearance can guarantee
safe operation in spite of the possibility that building decorations
or temporary features that greatly exceed flame spread or fire load
provisions of the fire code may occur.
Recommendation
5. Occupancy Limits and Emergency Egress: NIST recommends
that the factor of safety for determining occupancy limits of all
new and existing nightclubs be increased in the model codes in the
following manner, and that state and local authorities adopt and
aggressively enforce the following provisions:
a) Within the
model codes, establish the threshold building area and occupant limits
for egress provisions using best practices for estimating tenability
and evacuation time; and, unless further studies indicate another
value is more appropriate, use 1-1/2 minutes as the maximum permitted
evacuation time for nightclubs similar to or smaller than The Station.
b) Compute the
number of required exits and the permitted occupant loads assuming
at least one exit (including the main entrance) will be inaccessible
in an emergency evacuation.
c) For nightclubs
with one clearly identifiable main entrance, increase the minimum
capacity of the main entrance to accommodate two-thirds of the maximum
permitted occupant level (based upon standing space or festival seating,
if applicable) during an emergency.
d) Eliminate trade-offs
between sprinkler installation and factors that impact the time to
evacuate buildings.
e) Require staff
training and evacuation plans for nightclubs that cannot be evacuated
in less than 1-1/2 minutes.
f) Provide improved
means for occupants to locate emergency routes—such as explicit
evacuation directions prior to the start of any public event, exit
signs near the floor, and floor lighting—for when standard
exit signs become obscured by smoke.
Recommendation
6. Portable Fire Extinguishers: NIST recommends that a study
be performed to determine the minimum number and appropriate placement
(based upon the time required for access and application in a fully
occupied building) of portable fire extinguishers for use in new
and existing nightclubs, and the level of staff training required
to ensure their proper use.
Recommendation
7. Emergency Response: To ensure an effective response to
a rapidly developing mass casualty event, NIST recommends that state
and local authorities adopt and adhere to existing model standards
on communications, mutual aid, command structure and staffing, such
as:
a) NFPA 1221,
Standard for the Installation, Maintenance, and Use of Emergency
Services Communications Systems
b) NFPA 1561,
Standard on Emergency Services Incident Management Systems
c) NFPA 1710,
Standard for the Organization and Deployment of Fire Suppression
Operations, Emergency Medical Operations, and Special Operations
to the Public by Career Fire Departments
d) NFPA 1720,
Standard for the Organization and Deployment of Fire Suppression
Operations, Emergency Medical Operations, and Special Operations
to the Public by Volunteer Fire Departments
Recommendation
8. Research on Human Behavior: NIST recommends that research
be conducted to better understand human behavior in emergency situations,
and to predict the impact of building design on safe egress in fires
and other emergencies (real or perceived), including the following:
a) the impact
of fire products (gases, heat, and obscuration) on occupant decisions
and egress speeds;
b) exit number,
placement, size and signage;
c) conditions
leading to and mitigating crowd crush;
d) the role of
crowd managers and group interactions;
e) theoretical
models of group behavior suitable for coupling to fire and smoke
movement simulations; and
f) the level of
safety that model codes afford occupants of buildings.
Recommendation
9. Research on Fire Spread and Suppression: NIST recommends
that research be conducted to understand fire spread and suppression
better in order to provide the tools needed by the design profession
to address recommendations 2, 3 and 5, above. The following specific
capabilities require research:
a) prediction
of flame spread over actual wall, ceiling and floor lining materials,
and room furnishings;
b) quantification
of smoke and toxic gas production in realistic room fires; and
c) development
of generalized models for fire suppression with fixed sprinklers
and for firefighter hose streams.
Recommendation
10. Research on Computer-aided Decision Tools: NIST recommends
that research be conducted to:
a) refine computer-aided
decision tools for determining the costs and benefits of alternative
code changes and fire safety technologies; and
b) develop computer
models to assist communities in allocating resources (money and staff)
to ensure that their response to an emergency with a large number
of casualties is effective.
Also
see NIST Construction Safety Investigations
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