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You Can Avoid Fire<br />
Losses by Good<br />
Housekeeping<br />
by CHESTER FRIEDMAN*<br />
In theatre operation, the synonym<br />
for fire prevention is cleanliness. The theatre<br />
which is clean offers a minimum hazard<br />
from the danger of fire. Regular inspections<br />
daily, modern fire-fighting equipment,<br />
and a staff trained to meet emergencies<br />
provide the most effective guarantee<br />
that life and property will be safeguarded.<br />
One of the benefits which accrue from<br />
these conditions is lower insurance premiums,<br />
since every insurance company<br />
jacks up its rates if reports submitted by<br />
their inspectors are not satisfactory.<br />
As the first step in any fire prevention<br />
program, a cleanup and checkup campaign<br />
is necessary. The cleanup should<br />
start on the roof, with all encumbrances<br />
removed from it and from fire-escapes. It<br />
should progress downward to the basement,<br />
floor by floor and room by room, with all<br />
impedimenta, particularly inflammable materials<br />
and old useless display pieces, removed<br />
bodily from the theatre premises.<br />
Loose rags, oily waste, empty cardboard tube<br />
containers, old scenery and props, display<br />
pieces—all contribute to the dangers of fire<br />
and to ultimate damage should a fire break<br />
out.<br />
WATCH THE PROJECTION BOOTH<br />
The projection booth, one of the most<br />
vulnerable spots where fire is likely to start,<br />
should come under daily surveillance. Loose<br />
rags, oily waste, and especially small bits<br />
of film left around loosely, are objects<br />
noted by insurance inspectors and result in<br />
higher premiums. The exhibitor who provides<br />
air-tight containers for waste film,<br />
rags, etc., is guarding himself against increased<br />
costs of operation and the danger<br />
of being put out of business.<br />
A .systematic inspection of the projection<br />
booth at periodic intervals is essential<br />
from the standpoints of getting greater efficiency<br />
from the mechanism and eliminating<br />
some of the fire hazards. Shutters,<br />
guides, fusible devices, fire doors, the lamp<br />
house, the booth ventilating system—and<br />
above all, fire fighting equipment—require<br />
daily inspection by the operators. The exhibitor<br />
who makes a personal inspection<br />
at least once a week keeps the operator on<br />
Editor, BOXOmCE Showmandiser Section, This<br />
article is based on tiis experiences as a iormer theatre<br />
manager and upon his interviews with other<br />
Iheatrrj manaqer.s.<br />
88<br />
his toes and reassures himself on safety<br />
precautions.<br />
Another vulnerable condition arises from<br />
defective wiring in old theatres. Dozens of<br />
exhibitors have left their theatres at night<br />
with everything in apparent good order,<br />
only to find that between midnight and<br />
morning, a fire stemming from defective<br />
wiring, had put them out of business. Age,<br />
corrosion and dry rot eventually take their<br />
toll of the insulation and protective covering<br />
on the wiring. Many old structures<br />
were built before modern building codes<br />
were introduced. Frequently the wiring in<br />
these structures is located near inflammable<br />
building substances. In these cases,<br />
exposed wires have been known to smolder<br />
throughout the day and break into flame<br />
many hours after the theatre had closed<br />
for the night.<br />
EXAMINE MOTORS REGULARLY<br />
Motors should be checked and worn<br />
brushes should be readjusted or replaced<br />
when faulty contact causes sparking. The<br />
examination of motors should include a<br />
checkup of fuses, switches and starters as<br />
well.<br />
Overloading of circuits is contributory to<br />
fires. Fuses are standard safety devices in<br />
the prevention of fires. Each wiring circuit<br />
has a capacity which, if overloaded,<br />
would normally heat up the wires and<br />
eventually burn away the insulation and<br />
start a fire. The fuse is designed to prevent<br />
this situation by blowing when the<br />
line is overloaded. For this reason, low<br />
amperage fuses should never be replaced<br />
by those of higher amperage. They should<br />
be checked periodically to see that standard<br />
or recommended sizes are not replaced<br />
by careless employes.<br />
Extension cords or so-called temporary<br />
wiring frequently used by theatremen in<br />
displays are another extreme hazard. In<br />
the long run, anything around the theatre<br />
which calls for electricity for lamps or<br />
motors should have permanent wiring or at<br />
least be covered with underwriter approved<br />
BX cable or other standard safeguards for<br />
this purpose.<br />
Automatic devices for feeding fuel and<br />
water to boilers must be checked every day,<br />
and any failure of the mechanism to operate<br />
properly should be immediately repaired<br />
by a competent person. Care should<br />
be exercised in the handling and storage<br />
of fuel and ashes. The flues and stacks<br />
should be inspected regularly and cleared<br />
of all combustible material.<br />
AVOID FLIMSY<br />
DECORATIONS<br />
In the theatre proper, lightweight draperies<br />
or other flimsy decorative material<br />
on walls, the stage or in the lobby, should<br />
be avoided. In the event that such materials<br />
are used, they should be treated with<br />
an approved flame-proofing compound.<br />
These compounds should always be applied<br />
by competent and experienced persons.<br />
Once a fire gets under way. the exhibitor's<br />
first line of defense is efficient and<br />
properly working fire-fighting apparatus,<br />
maintained in A-l working condition, for<br />
At the first out-<br />
.IP* ''"- '/Sbi*<br />
break of fire this<br />
:<br />
automatic<br />
extinguisher<br />
fire<br />
goes<br />
into action, spray-<br />
ing a powerful<br />
'<br />
»''<br />
tm'^<br />
fluid directly on<br />
;>'' .<br />
the fire, and ere- i*'<br />
ating a blanket<br />
'<br />
of fog which<br />
smothers the fire,<br />
i<br />
The manufacturer<br />
i<br />
recommends thai<br />
at least one sen- I<br />
^'..«i ''"^<br />
If<br />
^tBW'"<br />
,<br />
/or size Red i ^k wg<br />
'<br />
Comet Automatic ^"''<br />
Silver Spray wall<br />
unit be installed<br />
'<br />
for every 350 cubic feet of area. The unit requires<br />
no servicing, and the fluid is hermetically sealed.<br />
It is effective in the case of electrical fires.<br />
The Sno Fog extinguisher is hand-manipulated, with<br />
the blast directed to the nearest edge of the fire to<br />
blanket the whole area. The soda-acid type is not<br />
for electrical fires but is effective on wood, textile,<br />
paper, etc., when inverted and directed at the base<br />
of the flames, gradually working upward.<br />
On the left is the water type fire extinguisher, operated<br />
by pushing the lever down. The vapo liquid extinguisher<br />
is a double action pump type, especially<br />
recommended for electrical fires.<br />
H>4iiIlS'^[<br />
The MODERN THEATRE SECTION<br />
I<br />
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