As those who live in New York, we are fortunate to have exposure to so many theatrical performances. The close proximity of the theater is something we take advantage of - or need to! However, along with some history-making performances, there have also been some history-making fires that have occurred in the theater, such as the Iroquois Theater Fire in Chicago in Chicago and the Brooklyn Theater Fire. Those in the theater industry have taken great pains to ensure that tragedies like those don’t occur again. In today’s post, we’ll be talking about what theater owners need to do to make sure their venues are protected from the threat of fire.
The most common causes of fires in theaters are typically attributed to scenery and curtains. The FDNY requires that decorative items such as curtains and scenery must be either inherently flame resistant, or they must be soaked or coated in flame repellents. Other items that would also require these treatments are upholstered furniture, seat cushions, carpets, drapes, artistic decorations, etc.
As theater curtains typically take up some of the largest amounts of real estate in a theater, it is imperative that they are flameproofed according to FDNY regulations. This can happen in a few different ways. First, a theater owner may choose to buy curtains that are already inherently non-combustible. Crafted from polyester yarns, they already meet the NFPA 710 test standards. These special curtains wouldn’t need to be treated with flame repellents. However, flame resistant curtains are still subject to time, dirt, dust and water exposure. To ensure that they have maintained their flame retardancy, a regular field flame test should be conducted on them.
The second option is to buy any type of curtain that you want and have a flameproofing company come in to treat them. With this choice, your curtains would either be sprayed with fire repellent chemicals or soaked in them, allowing the flameproofing treatment to adhere to the surface of the fabric. As with flame resistant curtains, they also are impacted by water, dirt, dust and time, so they will need to undergo regular field testing as well.
A final option for theater owners is to purchase durably flame-resistant curtains. With this fabric, there is a degree of flame resistance, but it’s not sufficient to meet the NFPA test requirements and therefore must be treated. During treatment, the flame repellents will penetrate to the inside of the fabric, not only the surface of it. For this fabric and this treatment, the chemicals used aren’t water-soluble, so the curtains do better with being exposed to water and being washed. Even still, though, an annual field flame test should be conducted on durably flame-resistant curtains as well.
In addition to flameproofing appropriate materials and items in a theater, maximum fire safety also needs to include automatic sprinkler systems, adequate fire exits, and clearly marked signage. Certified Flameproofing is committed to keeping NYC theaters safe from fire by our modern, effective flameproofing treatments. We have served the Metro NYC area for over 60 years, and we would be happy to assist theater owners in keeping their venues safe.
Please call us today so we can answer any questions regarding flameproofing treatments and offer a free, no-obligation quote if needed. Please call today: 1-800-590-5530.