While there can be a lot of monotony involved in owning a business, one exciting aspect is the opportunity to host a special event. Running a promotional celebration adds excitement and interest, hopefully opening up new doors of revenue. Hosting a special event as a business owner is no small deal, but when done safely and correctly, it pays huge dividends. There are many things that need to be attended to, and one thing on that list is public safety - including fire safety. If you’re running a promotional event, the temporary scenery, decorations, and structures that are used are required to be flameproofed in order to be FDNY compliant. Today we’ll discuss what that does and doesn’t mean.
During your event, the scenery and materials used on location must be inherently non-combustible or undergo flameproofing treatments. A fire commissioner may choose to grant an exemption if the following things apply:
- You have a report from a nationally recognized lab, showing that required items are inherently flame resistant or have been treated with fire retardant chemicals (an established flameproofing company can also provide you with an acceptable document).
- The setting and scenery will be set up for less than 30 days.
- You can prove that it would cause extreme hardship to get the proper affidavit required for the event.
Decorations used for your promotional event also fall under the same requirements. However, similar to temporary scenery, there is the possibility for an exemption for temporary decorations if certain circumstances apply. As with scenery, #2 and #3 from above may also apply here. However, with #1, a testing report that indicates that the decorations have passed the appropriate NFPA (National Fire Protection Association) tests is acceptable as well.
Temporary structures is another sub-category that has flameproofing requirements. Again, these structures must have an accompanying affidavit that states they are inherently non-combustible or have received flameproofing treatments. A fire commissioner may also offer an exemption in the following cases:
- There’s documentation showing that the structures have been treated with flame repellent #25, have a Class A flame spread rating, or are inherently non-combustible.
- The structure will be set up for less than 30 days.
- You can show it would cause hardship for you to get the needed affidavits.
As you can see, there are definitely some hoops to jump through to make sure your special event is legally set up, especially if it’s longer than 30 days. However, it’s in everyone’s best interest to follow the rules and make sure you provide the ultimate level of fire safety for your patrons.
Queens Flameproofing is able to provide for all your flameproofing needs during your special event. We are thoroughly knowledgeable of FDNY requirements as well as the best practices in the industry. We are able to provide you with the flameproofing affidavits you need as well. Please call us today to discuss your concerns or to set up a free, no-obligation estimate. We look forward to hearing from you today: 1-800-972-5587