FDNY Guidelines for Temporary Structures

When a person is starting a business, there’s an unending list of things to do to prepare. While many of those tasks are fun and exciting because they directly relate to the fulfillment of a dream or vision, many are not so exciting. Fire safety is probably one of those things – something that you don’t really think about until you have to or are forced to. However, fire safety is often underrated because it’s doing its job so well – preventing fires from actually taking place. So well that we often don’t think about it or notice it. A sub-category of fire safety is flameproofing. Flameproofing is required for all locations where the public gathers, and it involves treating decorative items with fire retardants to help prevent the spread of fire. One aspect of flameproofing these kinds of items is the treatment of temporary scenery, decorations, and structures.

The first aspect we are addressing today is temporary scenery. The baseline standard is that whatever materials are being used for temporary scenery must either be inherently non-combustible or they must be treated with fire retardants. However, there are cases where the fire commissioner may allow exemptions from those guidelines.  All of the following would need to apply if an exemption would be granted: 1. A report from a nationally known lab or a certificate from an approved flameproofing company was submitted, demonstrating that the materials used for temporary scenery were properly treated or non-combustible. 2: The temporary scenery that is being used will be displayed for less than 30 days (at a trade show, for instance). 3: The business owner must demonstrate that it would be an extreme hardship for him to present a valid affidavit that proves the items are non-combustible or have been flameproofed.

A similar category to temporary scenery is temporary decorations.  Likewise, the rules, in this case, are similar to the rules for temporary scenery. For temporary decorations, #2 and #3 from the previous illustration apply here as well. However, with temporary decorations, there is a slight difference.  For #1, instead of a lab report or affidavit, the business owner must submit a testing report that demonstrates that the temporary decorations passed the NFPA (National Fire Protection Agency) 701 Test 1 (e.g. for drapes, curtains, window treatments, single layer fabrics, etc.) or Test 2 (e.g. for plastic films, vinyl coated fabrics, awnings, tarps, tents, etc.)

Lastly, we will look at the rules for temporary structures. In this case, the commissioner is allowed to make a judgment call.  While typically an affidavit for flameproofing treatments or proof that a material is inherently non-combustible is needed, for temporary structures, a commissioner might accept a report from a nationally recognized lab or a certificate from a valid flameproofing company if all 3 criteria are met: #1 The report or certificate clearly states that the materials are inherently non-combustible, they have a Class-A flame-spread rating, or they are now rendered flame-resistant because they’ve been treated with flame repellent coating 25; #2: The items will only be used for 30 days or less (for a concert tour, for instance); #3 The person requesting the permits must prove that it would cause unnecessary hardship to obtain the necessary affidavit.

When we think about fire safety, it’s easy to forget that preventative measures apply to temporary structures as well as permanent ones. Any public gathering place, for any event, must have the comprehensive fire safety measures in place, whether it’s a temporary location or a permanent one. Obtaining a permit for a temporary event can feel like a logistical nightmare, but it’s a small price to pay considering the bigger nightmare that could follow if these protective measures were not taken.  Flameproofing goes a long way in saving lives in the event of a fire, and even temporary structures and events must have the same care taken in order to be safe from this devastating threat.

At NYC Flameproofing, we can flameproof and protect all temporary structures, scenery or decorations.  Please call us to receive a free, no-obligation estimate. We would love to help make your NYC event as safe as possible: (800) 291-0904

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