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jimcoler Posted: Feb 23, 2010 10:05 AM	Foam is to blame for Night Club Fire!!!! Just saw on the news where sound proofing foam is to blame for the deaths involved in the Station Night club fire where Great White was stupid enough to use live fireworks on stage in close proximity to the walls. But the news blames this fire and the deaths involved in it on the foam. When will the news get it straight? It wasn't the foam that killed all the people, it was stupidity! It was a class III rated foam!!!! Just more bad press for all of us!
mason Posted: Feb 23, 2010 10:10 AM	I was Executive Director of SPFA at the time of the fire. We issued a joint press statement with CPI (Center for the Polyurethane Industry) soon after the fire. Sounds like that press release needs to be dusted off and sent out again. Anyone call Kurt Riesenberg or Neeva Candelori on it? Send me an email with the info and I will forward it to the appropriate trade association folks.
jimcoler I have over 10 years of experience specifying and installing open and closed cell spray foam. I've sold my business but I'm still selling for the new owners and consulting on large and custom specific jobs. I've expanded my knowledge into t Posted: Feb 23, 2010 10:18 AM	This was the News in Orlando,FL commemorating the 5 year anniversary or something like that. Sounds like they need to be re-educated on the root causes of the fire and many other issues involved in it! I haven't called Kurt or anyone else. Just found it interesting that it popped up on the news the week of the SPFA conference!
Neeva-Gayle Candelori Posted: Feb 24, 2010 06:02 PM	The Center for the Polyurethanes Industry (CPI) never issued a press statement on the Rhode Island nightclub fire. Any organic materials, such as wood and foam products of all types, can burn. CPI has actively participated in a number of programs to encourage fire safety. CPI also supports the responsible uses of all building products. The final product and its intended use most commonly is covered by state or federal laws, fire codes, or building codes and standards. One issue investigators focused on in the Rhode Island nightclub fire was the use of polyurethane foam material which had been installed behind the stage. The foam was of a kind intended for use in packaging and product display and not for sound-treating buildings, and would not have been treated with fire-retardant materials used in acoustic foam. In its final Rhode Island Nightclub Fire Report issued June 29, 2005, the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) urged all state and local governments to adopt and aggressively enforce national model building and fire safety codes for nightclubs and called for some significant changes to further strengthen the model codes. The investigation concluded that “strict adherence to the 2003 model codes available at the time of the fire would go a long way to preventing similar tragedies in the future. Changes to the codes subsequent to the fire made them stronger. By making some additional changes—and state and local agencies adopting and enforcing them—we can strengthen occupant safety even further.” Additionally, a NIST investigation of the fire, using computer simulations and a mock-up of the stage area and dance floor, concluded that a sprinkler system would have successfully contained the fire enough to give everyone time to get out safely. According to an investigation into the fire, on the night in question, the Station was legally required to have a sprinkler system, but did not. Additional information about polyurethane, combustion, toxicity, or polyurethane raw materials can be found on the CPI website, www.americanchemistry.com/polyurethane. Neeva-Gayle Candelori, Director Center for the Polyurethanes Industry
jimcoler I have over 10 years of experience specifying and installing open and closed cell spray foam. I've sold my business but I'm still selling for the new owners and consulting on large and custom specific jobs. I've expanded my knowledge into t Posted: Feb 25, 2010 08:19 AM	Now, I'm confused... Who has had control here - CPI or SPFA??? One is saying that you released a press release and another is now saying that you didn't! The Rhode Island Night Club fire was an issue with many different reasons, one of which was a class III rated foam used for packaging used for sound proofing. Some of the other violations were lack of egress doors being marked/accessible, lack of sprinkler, over crowded, lack of permit to use fireworks during display, among others. Considering that if all codes were followed - the casualties would have been much less. So, considering that foam was not the primary reason for this fire, especially not a foam which was intended for exposure, then why wouldn't CPI or SPFA release a statement refuting this claim and clarifying the record?
mason Posted: Feb 25, 2010 11:28 AM	I would like to make a correction from my earlier response regarding the R.I. Nightclub fire. Ms. Candelori is correct. CPI (formerly API) and the SPFA did not issue a joint press release. CPI and SPFA did monitor this tragedy and responded to several media inquiries during that time. The foam in question was not a spray polyurethane foam product but rather an acoustical insulation. In North America, CPI takes the lead in managing and responding to most polyurethane combustibility issues, while SPFA responds to SPF specific topics. Additional information is available on their website, www.americanchemistry.com/polyurethane.
JohnPeters Posted: Mar 24, 2010 09:23 PM	I live in RI and consider myself fairly familiar with this situation. SPF was not involved in this fire in anyway. There was acoustical sound insulation that was painted black with a laytex paint that caught fire from the un-regulated, un-licensed piro-techniques crew. Building code officials should have been hung for what happened. Exit doors opened in instead of out causing bottle necking at every exit. Un-approved acoustical insulation was left exposed in the concert hall. Sprinkler system was fudded up...etc....etc. JP

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jimcoler

Posted: Feb 23, 2010 10:05 AM

Foam is to blame for Night Club Fire!!!!

Just saw on the news where sound proofing foam is to blame for the deaths involved in the Station Night club fire where Great White was stupid enough to use live fireworks on stage in close proximity to the walls. But the news blames this fire and the deaths involved in it on the foam. When will the news get it straight? It wasn't the foam that killed all the people, it was stupidity! It was a class III rated foam!!!!

Just more bad press for all of us!

mason

Posted: Feb 23, 2010 10:10 AM

I was Executive Director of SPFA at the time of the fire. We issued a joint press statement with CPI (Center for the Polyurethane Industry) soon after the fire.

Sounds like that press release needs to be dusted off and sent out again.

Anyone call Kurt Riesenberg or Neeva Candelori on it?

Send me an email with the info and I will forward it to the appropriate trade association folks.

jimcoler

I have over 10 years of experience specifying and installing open and closed cell spray foam. I've sold my business but I'm still selling for the new owners and consulting on large and custom specific jobs.

I've expanded my knowledge into t

Posted: Feb 23, 2010 10:18 AM

This was the News in Orlando,FL commemorating the 5 year anniversary or something like that.

Sounds like they need to be re-educated on the root causes of the fire and many other issues involved in it!

I haven't called Kurt or anyone else. Just found it interesting that it popped up on the news the week of the SPFA conference!

Neeva-Gayle Candelori

Posted: Feb 24, 2010 06:02 PM

The Center for the Polyurethanes Industry (CPI) never issued a press statement on the Rhode Island nightclub fire. Any organic materials, such as wood and foam products of all types, can burn. CPI has actively participated in a number of programs to encourage fire safety. CPI also supports the responsible uses of all building products. The final product and its intended use most commonly is covered by state or federal laws, fire codes, or building codes and standards. One issue investigators focused on in the Rhode Island nightclub fire was the use of polyurethane foam material which had been installed behind the stage. The foam was of a kind intended for use in packaging and product display and not for sound-treating buildings, and would not have been treated with fire-retardant materials used in acoustic foam.

In its final Rhode Island Nightclub Fire Report issued June 29, 2005, the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) urged all state and local governments to adopt and aggressively enforce national model building and fire safety codes for nightclubs and called for some significant changes to further strengthen the model codes. The investigation concluded that “strict adherence to the 2003 model codes available at the time of the fire would go a long way to preventing similar tragedies in the future. Changes to the codes subsequent to the fire made them stronger. By making some additional changes—and state and local agencies adopting and enforcing them—we can strengthen occupant safety even further.”

Additionally, a NIST investigation of the fire, using computer simulations and a mock-up of the stage area and dance floor, concluded that a sprinkler system would have successfully contained the fire enough to give everyone time to get out safely. According to an investigation into the fire, on the night in question, the Station was legally required to have a sprinkler system, but did not.

Additional information about polyurethane, combustion, toxicity, or polyurethane raw materials can be found on the CPI website, www.americanchemistry.com/polyurethane.

Neeva-Gayle Candelori, Director
Center for the Polyurethanes Industry

jimcoler

I've expanded my knowledge into t

Posted: Feb 25, 2010 08:19 AM

Now, I'm confused... Who has had control here - CPI or SPFA??? One is saying that you released a press release and another is now saying that you didn't! The Rhode Island Night Club fire was an issue with many different reasons, one of which was a class III rated foam used for packaging used for sound proofing. Some of the other violations were lack of egress doors being marked/accessible, lack of sprinkler, over crowded, lack of permit to use fireworks during display, among others. Considering that if all codes were followed - the casualties would have been much less.

So, considering that foam was not the primary reason for this fire, especially not a foam which was intended for exposure, then why wouldn't CPI or SPFA release a statement refuting this claim and clarifying the record?

mason

Posted: Feb 25, 2010 11:28 AM

I would like to make a correction from my earlier response regarding the R.I. Nightclub fire. Ms. Candelori is correct. CPI (formerly API) and the SPFA did not issue a joint press release. CPI and SPFA did monitor this tragedy and responded to several media inquiries during that time. The foam in question was not a spray polyurethane foam product but rather an acoustical insulation. In North America, CPI takes the lead in managing and responding to most polyurethane combustibility issues, while SPFA responds to SPF specific topics. Additional information is available on their website, www.americanchemistry.com/polyurethane.

JohnPeters

Posted: Mar 24, 2010 09:23 PM

I live in RI and consider myself fairly familiar with this situation.

SPF was not involved in this fire in anyway. There was acoustical sound insulation that was painted black with a laytex paint that caught fire from the un-regulated, un-licensed piro-techniques crew.

Building code officials should have been hung for what happened. Exit doors opened in instead of out causing bottle necking at every exit. Un-approved acoustical insulation was left exposed in the concert hall. Sprinkler system was fudded up...etc....etc.

JP

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