Canadian Film Weekly (Jun 23, 1943)

@ June 28, 1948 Canadian FILM WEEKLY Page & The Nature of Fire Safety RDINARILY statistics are uninteresting. However, some are necessary if you are to obtain an essential perspective of the entertainment industry in Ontario. In presenting these statistics, I promise you they will not approach astronomical proporfions, but I assure you they will be of value. The Theatre Inspection Branch of the Ontario Government, the Department which I have the honour to direct, has particularly concerned itself with the physical condition of 418 theatres (all operating) situated in centres with varying degrees of protection, ranging from the volunteer brigade to the highly trained professional fire fighters; for the condition of 2235 public halls, centres of activity in villages and cities from one end of the province to the other; for the training and education of 1200 motion picture projectionists, and finally for the safety of approximately 2,000,000 persons who weekly attend places of amusement in Ontario. The provision of entertainment through motion picture censorship; the condition and operation of halls and theatres; the training of projectionists are all of importance in the Department’s scheme of things, but of the utmost importance is the safety of the audiences ranging from children to aged adults. While it is true the balance sheet of the amusement companies may be of the utmost concern to the companies, I am certain I will have no difficulty in securing your assent to the departmental policy which places human lives before all else. The history of the Department, and its achievements which are regarded as exceptional by competent authorities, is, I believe, largely responsible for the fortunate position in which the industry finds itself today. I think I can give you the assurance that the industry in Canada is qualified to meet any possible emergencies arising during this global war. * 2 a N ACCIDENT in St. Catharines in 1910 which resulted in the death of a motion picture operator was a factor in bringing about the establishment of the Theatre Inspection Branch, I am told. At the time, the motion picture industry was in its infancy. Theatre owners built as they saw fit, guided only by local building bylaws of a general character. The home of entertainment was still the Town Hall for its travelling players and the theatre for the larger centres. There were few, who, thirty years ago, could visualize the expansion of the motion picture industry to its present state. The operator in St. Catharines who lost his life entered The Problem of Fire Prevention in Theatres, As Explained by O. J. Silverthorne, Ontario Chairman, Is Worth Studying his primitive booth through a trap door by means of a ladder. When the fire broke out, he had none of the present day modern appliances to quench the flames and his means of egress was cut off. There has been one theatre fire of consequence in Canada during a quarter of a century. This was the fire in Montreal which resulted in the death of so many children. I would remind you that the subsequent inquiry revealed that the appalling loss of life was due to panic and to the absence of safety regulations as we know them today. Reviewing conditions as they now exist, and I can only speak for Ontario, I would say there isn’t a theatre which could not be emptied of its patrons long before a fire could make even minor progress. We were just organized when the Great War of 1914 broke out. With the war came restrictions on building and as a result the development of the motion picture industry dates from the close of the war in 1918. Since then, there has been neither loss of life, nor serious property damage. During the last decade, a period involving the extremes of poverty and prosperity, the problems of the Department necessarily were multiplied, if by nothing else than the natural growth of the industry. At present, reports of theatrical interests show the largest attendance since they have become recognized as a factor in the social and economic life of the Province. Consequently, you will agree that the tasks of the Department are the heaviest since its establishment. How is the Department measuring up to the responsibilities? In answering the query, I tell you of entertainment with safety. I would hope that my report will meet with your approval; I would hope also that out of what I have to tell you, you will find something lacking. If so, you will be able, I trust, to offer suggestions which will make the several hundred theatres and still larger number of public halls safer for those who patronize them. Safety by the elimination of the cause of fires, fear and panic to the patrons of the theatres and public halls has been our objective at all times. To maintain this feeling of safety and security the Department works night and day to determine that every possible fire hazard has been eliminated even in the most remote areas of the Province. against totally is PANIC. The Department is continually devising means of meeting this menace. Recently, in co-operation with theatrical interests, a “Safety Trailer” was produced and is now being exhibited in every licensed theatre. This tells the audience what to do in case of emergency. Attention is drawn to exits and how they are designated. Patrons are instructed to WALK—not run to them. It tells also that the staff is qualified and trained to meet any emergency. When war broke out, it was feared there might be interruptions to electric services in the theatres. All theatres were ordered to install emergency lighting systems. It was felt that a panic might arise if audiences without apparent reason were suddenly forced to sit in darkness and compelled to remain there some length of time. Just how easy it would be to leave a theatre in case of emergency is revealed by the regulation which compels all theatres to be equipped with doors which open outward. All exit doors may be opened with panic bars which operate with a slight downward pressure of the hand or body. All areas leading to these exits, including aisles, are well lighted as are the court-yards outside. Stairs in public buildings have always been considered a danger, and now wherever possible ramps are being installed. Few people ever regard the furnace room and air-conditioning plant as of vital importance to the safety of the patron. The furnace room must be constructed of brick or concrete with entrance by a fire door which is automatically controlled. The fuel is stored in a separate fire resistive room and separated by a metal door from the furnace. Ventilation of this room is afforded to the open air, thus assuring a plentiful supply of fresh air and guarding against a back draft. + ~ AM sure the projection suite is now as fire-resistive as is possible. This all important section in the motion picture theatre is considered the most likely fire hazard of the building, but now, the projection suite is such that even if a minor blaze broke out, the room can be shut off from the auditorium in the fraction of a second. You must remember that film is highly inflammable and CG i greatest menace and one which cannot be guarded >gzhould a fire start in the projection room there must be some provision to prevent it from spreading to the other parts of the building. The room for this reason must be constructed of steel and concrete and equipped with metal clad doors controlled by automatic closing devices. All openings to the auditerium are protected by metal shutters which may be dropped either individually or collectively in the case of fire. Ventilation is supplied to the open air to carry off smoke and fumes. Every projection suite Is equipped with a number of fire extingulishers and we have insisted upon the use of insulated sectional film cabinets to protect the highly inflammable film. All furniture such as tables, chairs, and so forth, are of metal, leaving only the film as the source of fire. o xt s A aac the regulation requiring matrons to be in attendance during children’s matinees has been in effect for years, it is not until recently that it has been strictly enforced. This has been accomplished by the Department with the co-operation of the industry, municipal authorities and welfare organizations. Parents can now send their children to the theatre knowing that they are well supervised and that every precaution is taken for their safety and conduct. co) 2 z 1) fem the year seven theatres were prosecuted, mainly for overcrowding. Three theatre licenses and seven projectionists’ licenses were suspended for various infractions of the Theatre Regulations. Three public hall licenses were also suspended upon the advice of the Provincial Police or the local officials of the municipalities in which the hall was located. As I stressed earlier, our first duty is the protection of our citizens and from the theatre inspection viewpoint, for which I speak, our primary concern is the provision of such safety measures that the services of the fire fighters shall as far as is humanly possible, not be necessary. I can assure you gentlemen, however, that just as a business man feels much more comfortable when he has a substantial balance in the bank, so we feel much happier when we know that an efficient fire fighting organization is operating. I may say that in carrying out our safety measures, we have endeavored to be as reasonable as possible with the entertainment operators who have their own individual problems, and I, as director of the Department, would like to express my thanks to them for the co-operation they have extended.