The International Association of Fire Chiefs issued a series of sharply worded challenges to national code organizations at a specially convened review meeting of the National Fire Protection Association Technical Committee on Assembly Occupancies in Quincy, Mass., on March 13. The statement was called to address a number of underlying fire safety issues the IAFC believes are in need of review in the wake of recent nightclub disasters in Rhode Island and Chicago, and a rehabilitation center fire in Connecticut.

The challenges were included in an official statement of position that was presented by Chief Jackie Gibbs of Marietta, Ga., chairman of the IAFC Fire and Life Safety Section. Also in attendance were Chief Bob DiPoli, IAFC second vice president; Chief Roger Bradley, IAFC director of the New England division; and Garry Briese, IAFC executive director.

Speaking on behalf of the IAFC and its president, Chief Randy Bruegman, Gibbs presented a series of recommendations that were aimed not only at the NFPA but also at the International Code Council and included issues that the organization believes also must be addressed by municipal leaders, the building industry, the public and the fire service itself.

“We should all be saying, ‘Enough is enough; we're mad as hell and we're not going to take it anymore,’” Chief Gibbs said. Saying that the recent tragedies are “a clear indication of the need for the code development process to change the way it looks at fire and life safety in the United States,” the IAFC outlined a number of issues that the ICC and NFPA should immediately address, including:

• All NFPA and ICC codes must address the requirements that new commercial buildings, particularly places of assembly, be equipped with fire sprinklers and monitored alarm systems with no exceptions.
• The concept of “grandfathering” should be eliminated from the codes entirely. All non-compliant, pre-existing occupancies should be required to come into full compliance with the most current fire and building codes within a specified phase-in timeframe.
• Partial sprinklering of residential occupancies should be allowed in the areas most likely to experience a fire, such as kitchens, heating systems and garages.
• Local governments must re-examine obstacles they may have created that serve as disincentives to the installation or retrofitting of buildings with fire sprinkler systems by building owners.
• Local jurisdictions must provide adequate funding and staffing for sufficient fire inspection personnel.
• Fireworks and pyrotechnics should be prohibited from indoor use entirely.

The IAFC also challenged the fire service as a whole to rigorously, uniformly and fairly enforce codes and establish policies and protective systems where local politicians can be held publicly accountable for any interference. Also, the fire service must ensure that every fire inspector is trained and certified.

“We must do everything we can to eliminate these horrific incidents and senseless losses of life,” the IAFC concluded. “We are asking the NFPA and the ICC to take aggressive steps to immediately address those code applications that we all know will save precious lives in the future.”

NFPA President and CEO James Shannon issued this statement: “Whenever a tragedy like the ones in Chicago and Rhode Island takes place, NFPA tries to learn whatever lessons we can and to apply those lessons quickly. That's why we were a part of the Rhode Island investigation from day one, that's why we called an emergency meeting of our code writing committee and they are already in the process of making amendments to our code.”

In response to the recent public assembly building tragedies, Reps. Curt Weldon (Pa.) and James Langevin (R.I.) announced plans to introduce legislation that would provide tax incentives or a change in the depreciation guidelines for the installation of sprinkler systems in businesses.

The congressmen also called on states and public attraction venues to voluntarily adopt new safety precautions to inform patrons about safety measures and the location of all exits before events begin.

10 deadliest public assembly fires in U.S. history

1. Iroquois Theater, Chicago, Dec. 30, 1903; 602 killed.
2. Cocoanut Grove night club, Boston, Nov. 28, 1942; 492 killed.
3. Conway's Theater, Brooklyn, N.Y., Dec. 5, 1876; 285 killed.
4. Rhythm Club dance hall, Natchez, Miss., April 23, 1940; 207 killed.
5. Rhodes Opera House, Boyertown, Pa., Jan. 12, 1908; 170 killed.
6. Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus tent, Hartford, Conn., July 6, 1944; 168 killed.
7. Beverly Hills Supper Club, Southgate, Ky., May 28, 1977; 165 killed.
8. Richmond Theater, Richmond, Va., Dec. 26, 1811; 160 killed, including the governor and a former U.S. senator from the state.
9. The Station nightclub, West Warwick, R.I., Feb. 20, 2003; 99 killed.
10. Happy Land social club, Bronx, N.Y., March 25, 1990, 87 killed.

Source: NFPA