The Fire Marshall Wears the Ruby Red Slippers! From Resource Management Alliance
Are we in The Land of OZ? No, but the Fire Marshall can click his heels or write cancel on the paperwork and all your plans and ideas are stopped, or the reverse – approved, and all your time and effort and planning is given the go-ahead.
If you have been in event planning for any period of time you know what I mean, everybody else is probably thinking that I have lost my mind, but over the years we have had to jump through some spectacular hoops to get the Fire Marshal to sign off on the plans for the event.
Contact with the Fire Marshall is one of those important meetings that should happen early in the planning stages so that any problems can be overcome, or changes to the event can be accommodated.
The responsibilities of the Fire Marshal’s Office fall into five main categories: building inspection, manufactured housing inspection, engineering, hazardous materials inspections, and licensing.
One of the key areas that Event Planners come into contact with Fire Marshals are building space and how many people will be allowed into the facility. Add to this how fast can people get out of the building and by what exits (egress) and we have the beginning of discussion.
Next question will be what is flying above the heads of the people, trusses, speakers, lights, video screens, etc and codes and rules come into application.
A very basic approximation for how many people can fit in:
1. Theater style room is to allow 9sqft per person. 200 people = 1800sqft.
2. Classroom style room (2×6ft tables) is to allow 24sqft per person. 200 people = 4800sqft
This rule can differ per state, and is at the discretion of the individual Fire Marshall’s codes for that state. Allowances for staging, set pieces and other props will also bear upon sqft space and numbers.
Stephen Brown
Resource Management Alliance
http://www.resourcema.com
Steve Brown is an Event Planner and Marketer for Resource Management Alliance based in Tampa, FL. RMA is a national Live Event Planning and Marketing company specializing in events, seminars, conferences, etc.
(T) 863 581 9364
Full article at http://resourcema.com/2009/06/16/the-fire-marshall-wears-the-ruby-red-slippers/
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