Fire Safety Codes

Fire Safety Codes
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Fire Safety Codes
Over ten years ago, tragedy struck in West Warwick, RI. The fire outbreak at the Station nightclub did claim 100 lives while generating 200 injuries. The incident comes out as the fourth deadliest nightclub fire in the history of the United States. The onset of the fire relates to the ignition of the pyrotechnics before spreading to flammable acoustic soundproofing foam. This essay describes the development of the fire safety codes, inspection procedures, and enforcement. In addition, it explores the importance of the safety codes during the inspection process.
In the course of developing fire safety code, there are seven critical stages or steps, which form the procedure. The first step focuses on integration and submission of a proposal concerning the development of the safety codes. In the second stage, there is the assembly of the proposal before the publication of the proposed changes to the safety codes in agreement with the needs and expectations of the target audience. The third step incorporates the public hearing, which allows input from the interest groups and entities. In the fourth instance, there is the publication of the hearing report.
In the fifth context, there is the need for the submission of the public comments, assembly, and publication of such comments to facilitate effectiveness and efficiency pursuit of appropriate codes (Grosshandler, Bryner, Madrzykowski, & Kuntz, 2005). The sixth stage focuses on the final public hearing while incorporating the views and perceptions of the interest groups.

The next step is the final action in agreement with the perception of the code official. These steps are valuable in the development of the quality codes to limit or reduce the extent of injuries and deaths during any fire outbreak.
Following the fourth deadliest nightclub fire in the history of America, NFPA focused on enacting tough new code provisions concerning fire sprinklers, as well as the aspect of crowd management within the nightclub-type locations. These provisions are valuable in demonstrating sweeping changes to the existing codes and standards relating to the safety within the assembly occupancies. These codes have been essential in enhancing the safety of the attendants of the nightclubs. For instance, the enforcement of the codes has been essential in ensuring the presence of the fire sprinklers in the nightclubs, as well as similar assembly occupancies, which accommodate more than 100 people. Besides, it is the duty and obligation of the owners of the buildings to execute inspection of the exits with the objective of ensuring effectiveness and absence of obstructions.
The approach is valuable in enabling the entities to maintain the records of the inspection. The safety codes also provide the platform for the presence of one trained crowd manager in charge of the gatherings. One crowd manager should be in charge of 250 attendants for effectiveness and efficiency in enhancing protection and safety during any fire outbreak or emergency (National Fire Protection Association 2014). The enforcement of the codes is valuable in prohibiting festival seating for crowds of more than 250 in the absence of a life-safety evaluation under the approval of the NFPA or other relevant authority. According to NFPA, festival seating refers to the form of audience accommodation, which lacks seating other than a floor or ground surface in the course of gathering and observing the performance. From this perspective, these codes aim at improving the safety conditions for the individuals attending various festivals and nightclubs.

References
Grosshandler, W. L., Bryner, N. P., Madrzykowski, D., & Kuntz, K. (2005). Draft report of the technical investigation of The Station nightclub fire. The Division.
National Fire Protection Association (NFPA). (2014). The Station Nightclub Fire. NFPA Journal. Retrieved from http://www.nfpa.org/safety-information/for-consumers/occupancies/nightclubs-assembly-occupancies/the-station-nightclub-fire

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