Same Hotel, Different Day
Luckily, we are safely home and the hotel didn't catch on fire, but I did take a quick tour of the place before we left. Almost none of the fire doors that I looked at were code-compliant, and I wasn't being nitpicky.
Interesting Place for an ASA Strike
I have heard from some code officials that annual fire door assembly inspections aren't feasible because there are too many fire doors, or aren't necessary because the building inspectors and fire marshals already have it covered. The application below caught my eye on the way into my hotel the other other night. It's the fire door that separates the wing my room is in from the lobby and the other three wings. The door is in rough shape, most likely because the panic device has been replaced several times and there's nothing left in the door to attach it to. Someone decided that an ASA strike is just the ticket...they used it kind of like a giant washer. Not to mention that the replacement panic is not fire exit hardware and is equipped with dogging which allows the latch to be held retracted.
Stainless Steel
Last week I was able to squeeze in one last visit to the Museum of Fine Arts before security became so tight that I wouldn't be allowed inside until I could enter as a paying customer sometime in 2010. After working on this project for almost 5 years, it gave me a thrill to see art arriving in crates and in multiple pieces.
Incognito
I'm having a couple of days of R & R in Burlington, Vermont, but the Doors of Burlington post will have to wait for a day when the weather is less inclement, or at least when I have a designated driver so I can hunt for doors from a moving vehicle. It has been tough to go door hunting when I'm on my own with three kids, a dog, and our two new Christmas kittens. In other words, I've got my hands full and I'm headed off the deep end (in my case, R & R does NOT stand for rest and relaxation!).
Wicked Restroom Doors
It's been 40 days since I've mentioned a ladies room, and I just saw an application that I can't resist posting about.
Team Effort
It's been a slow week for posts and I apologize for that, but I've got a good excuse. For the 5th straight year, my coworkers, family and friends have provided Christmas gifts for the local family shelter - 48 kids and their parents this year! We also provided some new items for the shelter's rewards program.
Emergency Axe – Last Resort Only
A couple of weeks ago I wrote a post about Urban Exploration - the art/hobby of exploring abandoned or off-limits buildings, tunnels, etc. One of the urban explorers that I struck up a conversation with sent me a link to these photos which I thought were pretty interesting.
Freedom for Chip
I'm sure that some of you remember the family road trip I took last summer, and the fact that I took along a Falcon exit device, nicknamed Chip Falcon. If you missed it, or if you just want to see the Doors of Colonial Williamsburg again, here's a link to the series.
NFPA 80 – 2010
I recently received my copy of the 2010 edition of NFPA 80 - Standard for Fire Doors & Other Opening Protectives, and I spent some time today perusing the changes (indicated by a vertical line to the left of the revised text).
www.schlage.com/social
I guess it's a sign of the times. In the old days, if you were lucky enough to get your name in the newspaper, that was a very big event (unless you were in the police blotter). One time I was on TV and I had my whole family standing by to press *record* on the VCR at just the right moment. My friend's elderly grandfather saw me on the news and almost knocked over his oxygen tank in his excitement. But with the advent of social media - Facebook, Youtube, blogging, etc., appearing in the media is a daily or weekly occurrence for many of us.
Falcon 8200 Series Auto Operator
It seems like I should know all about myself now that I'm in my (early!) 40's, but I recently learned that the way I learn best is from a live demonstration or a video. As soon as I start trying to read about something, my mind is off in a hundred directions, but put the same information in a video and I'm right there.
Urban Exploration
I think I may have found the perfect hobby for myself. Not that I need anything else to keep me busy, but I recently discovered the art of Urban Exploration, which combines my love of photography, architecture, and adventure. According to Wikipedia, Urban Exploration (AKA urbex or UE) is "the examination of the normally unseen or off-limits parts of urban areas or industrial facilities."
History Repeats Itself, Again
Once again, failure to follow fire safety and egress code requirements in a nightclub has resulted in a fire with multiple fatalities. The death toll from the December 4th fire at the Lame Horse in Perm, Russia currently stands at 112 with more than 100 people severely injured.
Too Many Pivots
I was walking down the street the other day, and I noticed that all of the entrance doors on the building I was passing had A LOT of intermediate pivots. I didn't have much time to investigate, but I took a picture in case I decided to do a blog post about it someday. Well, someday is today because I just got an email from one of our specwriters about how to determine the required quantity of intermediate pivots.
FDAI in Specifications
UPDATE: I wanted to preserve this original post but the recommended specification section on fire and egress door assembly inspections has been updated and is available HERE.