My mother, cousin and I recently went to a mega-movie complex near my home. Before the previews, there was the standard safety warning to "Please note the exits in the theater." Thus reminded, I quickly looked for the exit signs but didn't see them. "Where are the exit signs?" I asked my Mom and cousin, but in the bright light of one movie preview, they couldn't spot the signs, either.

Another preview started, one with a darker on-screen image, and we detected faint exit signs high on each side wall, but none down front. I left the theater to tell the manager about the unlit signs.

The assistant manager told me that the signs weren't burned out, but in fact were a new type of exit sign. He said in an emergency and when the lights go down, the exit signs will glow. I told him it was dark before the previews, but the signs didn't glow and weren't easily visible. He said that these new signs "don't interfere with the movie, and the fire department said the signs were fine."

The next day I called the local fire inspector. He explained that the exit lights at the Cinemark Theatres complex were a new, chemical-filled light approved by NFPA. I told him the exits couldn't be identified quickly: The side exit signs were placed high on the wall, and the two front signs weren't obvious. If the theater filled with smoke it would be impossible to see the exit signs.

The fire inspector countered that the signs were approved by the state fire marshal's office. "These signs are better," he said, "because you can't believe how many times there are bulbs burned out in exit signs when we do inspections, and these new signs don't have bulbs."

If the exit signs aren't visible when there's no smoke in the theater, what happens if there is smoke? I called William E. Koffel, PE, FSFPE, of Koffel Associates and a former chairman of the NFPA 101 Technical Committee for egress facilities.

"The sign would be considered an internally illuminated sign," Koffel said. "Based upon NFPA requirements and most model code requirements, the sign would need to be listed." Part of the listing requirement, he said, would be "to evaluate the visibility of the sign based on lettering size, brightness, contrast, viewing distance, etc."

Variations in movies will either brightly illuminate or dramatically darken a theater, so I question the effectiveness of exit signs that aren't readily visible. Underwriters' Laboratories is looking into it. Cinemark Theatres headquarters in Dallas has not returned my call yet.

What am I missing here? These exit signs aren't easily detectable. In addition, wouldn't it make sense to have exit paths on the floors, much like airplanes have added?

A little light on this subject would be appreciated.

Janet Wilmoth, Editorial Director
janet@firechief.com