Crowd Manager

Designation

Massachusetts
Department of Fire Services
Resulted from a comprehensive
review and revisions to the
Massachusetts fire laws and
regulations after
The Station Night Club fire
in West Warwick, Rhode Island,
on February 20, 2003
 Crowd Manager
Designation
CMR 10.13 (2)(d)
State Law & the State Fire Code
requires that the MA State Fire
Marshal provide Crowd Manager
training and a means to confirm that
training was successfully completed.
 Factors & Purpose
„ The factors involved in this fire were the
same as those which have occurred in
many other large loss of life public
assembly fires
„ The purpose of this training is to increase
awareness of these factors to prevent a
similar tragedy from occurring in
Massachusetts
Crowd Manager Training Program
„ Includes Two Parts
1. On-line training component
ƒ No fee

2. testing component
ƒ Questions on information in the on-line program
ƒ 70% to earn certificate
ƒ Printable Certificate of Completion
 Certificates Issued

„ Certificate of Successful Completion

– DFS will maintain a database of all
certificates issued
– FD’s will be able to verify issuance of a
certificate on-line at the DFS web-site
 When is a Crowd Manager
required?

„A trained Crowd Manager must be present

in any Nightclub, Bar, Discotheque, or
Dance Hall with an occupant load of 100
or more persons during all hours when the
facility is open to patrons
 What types of facilities are
required to have a crowd
manager?
Any facility:
„ with a legal occupant limit of 100 or more
persons as indicated on the Certificate of
Inspection
„ designated under the State Building Code (780
CMR) by the Building Official as an Assembly
Use (A-2 or A-3 Use Group), which is
“principally designed or used as a nightclub,
dance hall, discotheque or bar”
 What types of facilities are
required to have a crowd
manager? (cont)
Any facility that:
„ features entertainment by live band or
recorded music generating above normal
sound levels
„ has a specific area designated for dancing
 What are the requirements to be
trained and designated as a Crowd
Manager?
Crowd Managers must be:
„ The owner or operator of a Night Club,
Dance Hall, Bar or Discothèque with an
occupant load of 100 or more (occupant
load includes employees, performers and
guests)
„ 21 years of age or older
 What are the requirements to
be trained and designated as a
Crowd Manager? (cont)
„ An employee under the control or
supervision of the owner or operator of a
Night Club, Dance Hall, Bar or
Discothèque
„ Crowd Managers must be trained every 3
years
How many Crowd Managers are
required? (Cont)

„ TheOwner or Operator is responsible to

designate one Crowd Manager for every
250 occupants (or portion thereof)
 Buildings or Structures Exempt
from the Requirements for Crowd
Manager (even when having
capacity of 100 or more & featuring
entertainment)
„a temporary structure erected at the
same location for no more than 10 days
in any calendar year
„ facilities with fixed seating (i.e., theatre,
auditorium or concert hall or similar
place of assembly)
Buildings or Structures Exempt
from the Requirements for
Crowd Manager (cont)
„A facility used for private functions where:
– Each guest has a seat and table for dining
– Attendance is limited by pre-arrangement
between the owner/operator and event
organizers
– the occupant load of facility provides no less
than 15 square feet per occupant
Fire & Building Safety
Checklist
527 CMR 10.13 (2) (e)
The crowd manager by 527 CMR
10.13 (2)(d) shall be responsible
for the completion of the Fire &
Building Safety Checklist as
prescribed by the Marshal.
 Fire and Building Safety
checklist
„ The fire code requires that the checklist be
completed and signed each day of
operation by the Crowd Manager prior to
opening the facility to patrons, or before
each event
„ IMPORTANT: All deficiencies that are
found during the inspection for completing
the checklist must be corrected prior to
opening the facility to the public.
 Fire and Building Safety checklist
„ Complete the Fire and
Building Safety Checklist
includes:
ƒ fire protection systems
ƒ Fire extinguishers
ƒ Signage
ƒ Interior finished
ƒ Exits, egress
ƒ Crowd control procedures
ƒ Building capacity
Fire & Building Safety Checklist
Items (cont)
„ Determine and list
the person
responsible for
making exit
announcements
Fire & Building Safety Checklist
Items (cont)
„ Determine person responsible for
maintaining occupant load under posted
limits
Fire & Building Safety Checklist
Items (cont)
„ Check that certificate
of inspection is
properly posted at
main entry or “readily
available for
inspection (State
Building Code – 7th
edition)
Fire & Building Safety Checklist
Items (cont)
„ Check that sprinkler
system has been
inspected and tested
within the last 12
months
„ Check that the fire
alarm has been
inspected and tested
within the last 12
months
 Fire & Building Safety Checklist
Items (cont)
„ The owner or operator is required to keep
a copy of each completed Fire and
Building Safety checklist on the premises
for at least one year.
„ The original checklist shall be kept on the
premises and be subject to inspection by
State Fire Marshal, the Head of the Fire
Department or their designee.
Crowd Manager’s responsibilities

„ Assure that exit announcements are made

via an audible announcement prior to the
start of each program or performance
notifying occupants of the locations of
exits to be used in emergencies.
 Crowd Manager’s responsibilities

„ Initiate
a fire alarm if
necessary, directing
occupants to exits
 Specials effects and
pyrotechnics
„ Special
effects and indoor pyrotechnics
are prohibited from use
 Penalties for allowing dangerous
conditions to exist in assembly use
group buildings?

„ Mass. General Law chapter 148, section 34A

„ Any owner, occupant, lessee or other person
having control or supervision of any assembly
use group building can be fined up to $5,000
and possibly imprisoned up to 2-1/2 years for a
first offense and fines up to $25,000 and
possible imprisonment up to 5 years for
subsequent offenses.
 Penalties for allowing dangerous
conditions to exist in assembly use
group buildings?
„ Mass. General Law chapter 148, section 34A also spells
out dangerous conditions
„ Specific dangerous conditions include:
– Blocked or impeded egress
– Failure to maintain or shutting down fire alarms and sprinklers
– Storage of flammables or explosives without a permit
– Use of fireworks or pyrotechnic devices
– Exceeding occupancy limits
 Local License Authority

„ Local Licensing Authorities (the “LLA”) must be

aware that applicants for a new on-premises
alcoholic beverages license are required to
submit a valid fire safety certification issued by
the building inspector and the head of the fire
department for the city, town or district in which
the premises is located, or their license will not
be issued.
 Local License Authority
„ If an existing licensee does not submit a
signed annual renewal form by November
30th, the license will expire on December
31st of that calendar year. The LLA IS
REQUIRED to forward to the ABCC for
EACH LICENSEE an attestation, on the
renewal application, that the authority is
in possession of the required fire safety
certification.
 780 CMR Sec. 1.06

„ Section 1.06 of the state Building Code

also requires the Owner to have
completed a safety inspection of the
facility for issuance and renewal of the
license.
The requirement to have a
Crowd Manager designated
and present within the
facility during all hours of
operation shall be effective
on
March 1, 2011.
The requirement to complete
the Fire and Building Safety
Checklist before each night or
performance shall be effective
on
March 1, 2011.
 Notifications by DFS
„ Fire Chiefs will receive a Fire Marshal
advisory, informational bulletin, link to on-
line crowd manager training and fire &
building safety checklist
„ Owners will receive letter from Fire
Marshal with notification on Crowd
Manager requirement, informational
bulletin, link to crowd manager training
and fire & building checklist
 Notifications by DFS

„ Local Licensing Authorities will receive

letter from Fire Marshal with notification
on Crowd Manager requirement,
informational bulletin
 On-Line Program

„ Itis expected that the program will

be available on-line on or about
January 15, 2011