NFPA Technical Committee on Assembly Occupancies
NFPA 101 AND 5000 FIRST DRAFT MEETING MINUTES
Sunday-Monday, August 12-13, 2012
St. Louis Union Station Marriott
St. Louis, Missouri
1. Call to Order. The meeting was called to order by Chair Jeffrey Tubbs at 1:00 p.m. on
August 12, 2012 at the St. Louis Union Station Marriott, St. Louis, Missouri.
2. Introduction of Committee Members and Guests.
TECHNICAL COMMITTEE MEMBERS PRESENT
NAME
Jeffrey S. Tubbs, Chair
Ron Cote, Nonvoting Secretary
Raymond J. Battalora, Principal
Lorrell Bush
Alt. to Robert B. Treiber
George D. Bushey, Principal
William Connor, Principal
Bhola Dhume, Principal
Daniel P. Finnegan, Principal
William E. Fitch, Principal
Ralph D. Gerdes, Principal
Jerrold S. Gorell
Alt. to Karl G. Ruling
Harold C. Hansen, Principal
John Lake, Principal
Vern L. Martindale, Principal
Gregory R. Miller, Principal
Jake Pauls, Principal
Steven W. Peavey, Principal
Vincent Quinterno, Principal
Ed Roether, Principal
COMPANY
Arup
National Fire Protection Association
Aon Fire Protection Engineering
National Fire Sprinkler Association
Rosser International
Bill Conner Associates LLC
Rep: American Society of Theater Consultants
City of New Orleans, Department of Safety &
Permits
National Electrical Manufacturers Assoc.
Phyrefish Enterprises, Inc.
Ralph Gerdes Consultants, LLC
Theatre Safety Programs
Rep: US Institute for Theatre Technology
International Association of Venue Managers
City of Gainesville
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
Code Consultants, Inc.
Rep: National Assoc. of Theatre Owners
Jake Pauls Consulting Services in Building Use
& Safety
Altamonte Springs Building Fire Safety Div.
Rep: Florida Fire Marshals & Inspectors Assoc.
Rhode Island State Fire Marshal’s Office
Ed Roether Consulting LLC
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Steven J. Scandaliato, Principal
Robert C. Schultz, Jr. , Principal
Charles J. Schweitzer
Alt. to Robert D. Fiedler
Philip R. Sherman, Principal
Stephen V. Skalko, Principal
Robert B. Treiber, Principal
SDG, LLC
Rep: American Fire Sprinkler Association
University of Texas at Austin
Fire Prevention Services
City of Lincoln, Bureau of Fire Prevention
Philip R. Sherman, PE
Portland Cement Association
National Fire Sprinkler Association
GUESTS
NAME
Casey Grant
Tracy Golinveaux
Minkyu Lee
COMPANY
FPRF/NFPA
NFPA
FPRF/NFPA
TECHNICAL COMMITTEE MEMBERS NOT PRESENT
NAME
Scott W. Adams, Principal
Wesley W. Hayes, Principal
Mike Hayward, Principal
Jonathan Humble, Principal
Kenneth F. Keberle, Principal
Mark V. Smith, Voting Alternate
COMPANY
Park City Fire Service District
Polk County Fire Services Division
Rep: International Fire Marshals Assoc.
PlayPower LT Canada, Inc.
Rep: International Play Equipment
Manufacturers Assn.
American Iron and Steel Institute
Karl’s Event Services
Northeast Florida Fire Prevention Association
3. Approval of Prior Meeting Minutes. The October 18, 2010 meeting minutes were
approved as written and distributed. The February 9, 2011 meeting minutes were
approved as written and distributed
4. The New Process Review. Staff liaison Ron Coté used the PowerPoint presentation,
included in the agenda, to detail the new revision process.
5. Committee Name Change. The committee was notified that the Standards Council, at its
August meeting, approved the change in committee name to Technical Committee on
Assembly Occupancies.
6. Audible/Visible Signals Task Group. Dan Finnegan reported. The NFPA 101
provisions for use of existing public address system for occupant notification point the
user to NFPA 72. NFPA 72 has robust requirements for such use in recognition thjat the
fire alarm system might not be efficient for occupant notification in large venues. NFPA
72 requires the public address system to have emergency power and signal integrity.
Nothing more needs be done in NFPA 101. Task group discharged.
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7. Aisle Terminations Task Group. Ed Roether reported. The task group’s work is
reflected in First Revisions. Task Group retained on agenda: Ed Roether – Chair,
George Bushey, Bill Conner, Jake Pauls, Vincent Quinterno and Phil Sherman.
8. Evaluation of Smoke-Protected Assembly Seating Capacity Factors. Task group was
asked to continue its evaluation of whether the indoor capacity factors are correct. Greg
Miller agreed to work with Jeff Tubbs to submit a request to the FPRF to study the issue
under its Code Fund Project. Task Group retained on agenda: Greg Miller – Chair,
Harold Hansen, Vincent Quinterno, Ed Roether and Jeff Tubbs.
9. Life Safety Evaluation. Ed Roether reported. The task group’s work is reflected in First
Revisions. Task Group retained on agenda: Ed Roether – Chair, George Bushey, Dan
Finnegan, Harold Hansen, John Lake, Vincent Quinterno and Phil Sherman.
10. Crowd Managers. Jeff Tubbs reported. The task group’s work is reflected in First
Revisions. Task Group discharged.
11. Exemptions for Places of Religious Worship. Jeff Tubbs identified provisions where
places of religious worship are exempted from a Code requirement: open flames, crowd
manager threshold, festival seating, existing emergency lighting threshold, and
announcement of exits.
First Revision drafted to change 12/13.7.6.1(1) so threshold at which places of religious
worship need crowd managers is 500, rather than current 2000.
The task group was asked to continue its work. Task Group retained on agenda: Vern
Martindale – Chair, Dan Finnegan, Vincent Quinterno, and Robert Schultz.
12. Definition of Nightclub. No action taken. Drop from agenda.
13. FPRF Report on Emergency and Non-Emergency Events. Casey Grant and Minkyu
Lee of the Fire Protection Research Foundation presented, to a joint session of the
Assembly Occupancies Committee (SAF-AXM) and the Mercantile/Business
Occupancies Committee (SAF-MER), its findings as detailed in the report A Literature
Review of Emergency and Non-Emergency Events. The report was prepared under the
FPRF Code Fund Project. The FPRF representatives agreed to await requests for further
work from the chairs of the SAF-AXM and SAF-MER committees.
14. Sightline-Constrained Railing Height. The current 26-in. height allowance for railings
in sightline-constrained areas was discussed. Chair Jeff Tubbs will request FPRF to study
the issue. Retain subject on agenda.
15. Life Safety Evaluation Threshold of Occupant Load >6000. The provisions of NFPA
101 12/13.1.7.3 were discussed. No action taken to make a change in threshold occupant
load at this time. Retain subject on agenda.
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16. Correlating Committee Directive. Annex text was studied for relevancy and First
Revisions developed to correct items needing change.
17. Changes for Correlation between NFPA 5000 and NFPA 101. Numerous First
Revisions drafted to bring NFPA 5000 up-to-date with provisions of NFPA 101.
18. NFPA 101 First Draft Preparation. Public Input answered and First Revisions drafted.
19. NFPA 5000 First Draft Preparation. Public Input answered and First Revisions drafted
including FRs for purpose of correlating NFPA 5000 with current requirements of NFPA
101 as reported, above, in item 17.
20. Other Business. John Lake addressed booth seating as related to occupant load
calculation. No action taken. Do not add to agenda.
21. Future Meetings. The committee will meet in its Second Draft preparation meeting the
week of June 24-27, 2013. The meeting will be scheduled for one full day. The afternoon
of the previous day (i.e., noon to 5:00 p.m.) will be used for task group meetings.
Committee members who are not members of task groups expressed interest in receiving
training on the afternoon of the day preceding the committee meeting (while the task
groups are meeting). The training might be in crowd management.
22. Adjournment. On Sunday, August 12, the meeting was recessed at 5:10 p.m. On
Monday, August 13, the meeting was reconvened at 8:00 a.m. and adjourned at 3:15 p.m.
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