Do fire safety curtains work?
Of great significance is the fact that fire safety curtains in the United States are very unreliable, especially in emergency operation. In an informal survey of major stage equipment contractors, there was the consensus that fewer than 25 percent of the fire safety curtains in this country would close if there was a fire, and most contractors suggested between zero and 10 percent. Unfortunately, most of the regulations and proposed changes affecting fire safety curtains address the fabric and not the entire assembly or system. Also unfortunately, no organization has yet focused on developing a standard. For sure, it is not a deficiency of the fabric that so few actually operate. Conversely, sprinklers, including deluge systems, and smoke control have proven very reliable. Even if one accepts that in some stages proscenium opening protection is an appropriate feature for protection from the hazards of fire, it is certainly appropriate that it be limited to only the largest full working
