Party Fire Safety video

After the Oakland Ghost Ship fire, we created this short video on fire safety for event production.

Please watch it — 4 minutes later you'll be a lot more prepared.

With Joseph Pred, former Burning Man Emergency Services Operations Chief, and Andrew Ward, Co-Founder of Permission Granted, and containing the wisdom of a half-dozen expert consultants.

I hope you watch and re-watch before throwing an event. We need to keep our friends safe and alive.

To donate to the victims of the fire: http://bit.ly/2gkXrrO

A quick note given the spate of evictions in warehouse communities this week: my event organizer friends are some of the most competent individuals there are. Artists need places to live, the world needs artists and art needs artist spaces. Evictions are not the answer.

Thanks to the team who helped get this video out so fast:

Director/Producer: Michael Morgenstern
Producer/Camera/Gaffer: Whitney Freedman
Camera: Dylan Love
Sound Recordist: Jon Sadrgilany
Production Assistant: Mark Rossetti
Also Featuring: Gaige Qualmann
Equipment Donation: Vanessa Carr

Editor: Chu-Chun Tao
Motion Graphics: Dillon Petrillo
Icon Design: Jeremy Yingling
Additional Animation: Adam J. Richman
Sound Editor & Mixer: Tyler Hafer
Sound by Disher Sound

== Script Consultants ==

Gerard Dsushi, firefighter
Nicki Jo Davis, firefighter
Carlos Barrera, fire cause & origin investigator
Thomas- Robert Lingley, licensed electrical contractor
Gui Cavalcanti

And thank you to Dave Davila, Michael Snook, Sena P Koleva, Joshua Goldbard, Ethan Currens, Beau Gaerlan, Joanna Miller, Erik Ep, Zachary Reiss-Davis, Anne Gomez, and Renata Foucré

Information from the video:

We recommend assigning at least one person to be in charge of fire safety at your event. This person should:

• Do a walk-through three days beforehand, checking equipment and replacing anything that's broken.
• Develop an emergency plan: shutting down the music and evacuating people
• In the event of an emergency, evacuate people by yelling loudly and scanning the space for guests.

1. Unobstructed exits

• Each room should have two ways out. Don't use the spaces with fewer than two ways out, and especially keep bars and dance floors away from them.
• Don't overcrowd rooms. Even if you have 4 exits, packing a room tightly might mean there's not enough time to exit in case of a fire.
  Keep the exits, paths to the exits, doors, and gates (inside and outside) clear.

2. Exit signs

• Buy exit signs with internal batteries so they work if the power goes out.
• Test them and get new batteries if they don't work.

3. Smoke alarms

• Rule of thumb: one every 900 ft\u00c2\u00b2
• Especially important in areas that will be unoccupied, so you're alerted if a fire starts in a room.
• Buy the ones with 10-year batteries.
• Test them before the party.

4. Fire extinguishers

• Rule of thumb: one every 3000 ft\u00c2\u00b2
• Check their expiration date and pressure gauge
• Place them in prominent locations in case of an emergency.
• Once per year, turn them upside down and tap them.
• Remember PASS:
  P - Point
  A - Aim
  S - Shoot
  S - Sweep

5. Flammable objects

• Fewer flammable objects
• Keep anything flammable far away from flame
• Use LED lights instead of real candles
• Minimize paper decorations, paper cups
• Use fabric that is less flammable