[SML] Fire Alarms and Concerts

[fritz at schwentker.com]

We have had to work this through in the design of large dedicated concert
venues, and the details get a little complicated when we look from various
stakeholder points-of-view - 

 - For the house audio system, the solution is generally relatively
straightforward - contact closure to the DSP from life-safety system - that
mutes the program. Depending on venue and jurisdiction one then (1) relies
on the life-safety enunciation system, or (2) house system is provisioned
with backup power (and suitable microphone or pre-recorded source input) to
serve that purpose.

 - For touring/rental audio is it is more complicated. Research shows that a
reasonable number of outside contracted sound folks would refuse to allow a
third party to hook into and reconfigure any part of their gear that would
mute their program remotely. They reason, they are being paid to provide
reliable sound for the band and nothing else. Similarly, it's pretty bad
audio practice to dump a sound system by just killing power. So, although
some AHJ will still require a shunt trip to that power on alarm, we have to
also assume no one will actually hook up to any of that that even if
provided/required. 

 - The most successful solutions depend on a documented plan (typically
involving the AHJ) to alert the mix that there is an emergency in progress,
pot down the program, and then announce. In other words, tap the operator on
the shoulder and tell them it's time to stop the music and deal with an
emergency. And in any really large venue, there is a likely already a fire
watch, first-responder, or other responsible individual being paid to be
there and handle emergencies.

There are some other variations that can automate things a bit using
delay-action at monitored life-safety panels. But if you have a venue with
loud music and any decent sized audience, you really, really, really want to
have a documented and verified plan in place to handle things in case the
technology goes sideways and deals with the reality of show business.

Obviously - mileage will vary....


Fritz Schwentker - ASTC
Associate
WRIGHTSON | JOHNSON | HADDON | WILLIAMS
Office: 210.561.9800 | Direct:  972.590.7506 | Email: fschwentker at wjhw.com 

-----Original Message-----

It's unfortunate that the conventional wisdom seems to be to turn off the
sound, and maybe lights, in an emergency when crowd management is required
as the most successful examples of emergent crowd management have been live
people - usually a performer - directing the assembly in real time. Goes
back to at least Eddie Foy on stage at the Iroquois Theatre at the time of
that emergency.  Leaving the management of 500 or 5000 or more people
assembled to a recording made months or years earlier is insane.

On Wed, Feb 12, 2020 at 2:09 PM Stephen Litterst via Stagecraft
<stagecraft at theatrical.net> wrote:
>
> Our new-ish performing arts center has dedicated audio outlets on an 
> isolated ground.  External audio systems are *supposed* to be plugged 
> into them.  Those outlets are on the same shunt breaker as the house 
> audio system and are cut off when a fire alarm is triggered.
>
> Steve L.
>
> On 2/12/20 1:30 PM, Fritz, Barry via Stagecraft wrote:
> > A discussion arose at a meeting this morning regarding emergency
alarms/announcements and events with loud sound systems.  The audio system
in one of our new venues has overrides built in to cut audio when the alarm
system and emergency announcement are activated.  The question that came up
is what happens when there is a concert with an outside sound company
providing audio.
> >
> > What is the standard industry practice/policy dealing with an external
concert/loud event audio system and being able to hear the emergency alarms?
> >
> > Barry
> >
> >
> > ____________________________________________________________
> > For list information see <http://stagecraft.theprices.net/>
> > Stagecraft mailing list
> > Stagecraft at theatrical.net
> > http://theatrical.net/mailman/listinfo/stagecraft_theatrical.net
> >
>
>
> --
> Stephen Litterst            Technical Operations Supervisor
> litterst at udel.edu           Mitchell Hall
> 302/831-0601                University of Delaware
>
>
> ____________________________________________________________
> For list information see <http://stagecraft.theprices.net/>
> Stagecraft mailing list
> Stagecraft at theatrical.net
> http://theatrical.net/mailman/listinfo/stagecraft_theatrical.net



--
Bill Conner Fellow of the ASTC