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Monday, September 8, 2008

#17 FW: Allowable occupancy of the Multi Purpose Room at the Modular Classrooms

Laura J. DiBella Contacts The State Of Connecticut About School Fire Protection For Hamilton Avenue School Children

Is The Town Of Greenwich Fire Department Strictly Following Connecticut State School Child Protection Laws?




From: lauradibella@msn.com
To: joseph.kingston@po.state.ct.us
Subject: FW: Allowable occupancy of the Multi Purpose Room at the Modular Classrooms
Date: Tue, 2 Sep 2008 10:34:24 -0700


Mr. Kingston

Following are emails between myself and Fire Marshall Benoit. I thought they might be helpful to you.

Thank you for your attention to this matter.

Laura J. DiBella






From: lauradibella@msn.com
To: joseph.benoit@greenwichct.org
CC: sue_wallerstein@greenwich.k12.ct.us ; valerie.maze@greenwichct.org ; peter.siecienski@greenwichct.org ; peter.tesei@greenwichct.org
Subject: RE: Allowable occupancy of the Multi Purpose Room at the Modular Classrooms
Date: Fri, 29 Aug 2008 11:13:40 -0700


Deputy Chief Benoit -

I thank you for your response.

Please be advised that I accompanied Chris Doyle during his inspection and was with him when he measured the multipurpose room. He did not, in fact, rely on information provided him by employees, he visually inspected the room in question.

Inspector Doyle utilized a rolling tape measure and measured the room by length and width, from wall to wall.

Inspector Doyle took notes, including what equipment was in the room, as well as the actual measurements.

Having done all of the above - it would appear that Inspector Doyle's numbers should have been higher than yours, thereby allowing an even higher occupancy.

I have very serious concerns regarding the difference between Inspector Doyle's numbers and yours.

Laura J. DiBella








Subject: Allowable occupancy of the Multi Purpose Room at the Modular Classrooms
To: lauradibella@msn.com
> CC: sue_wallerstein@greenwich.k12.ct.us ; Valerie.Maze@greenwichct.org
From: Joseph.Benoit@greenwichct.org
Date: Fri, 29 Aug 2008 10:07:18 -0400

Dear Ms. DiBella:

Inspector Doyle was not the Fire Marshal at any time.

The number of persons that he determined were allowed in the Multi Purpose room at the time he did an inspection, was based on information that was relayed to him by employees of the school. Specifically where food serving equipment was to be located and the furniture layout of the room. From that information and a measurement of the available space Inspector Doyle determined that was the allowable occupancy.

I do not know what measurements he took nor do I know the points that those measurements were taken from.

I went to the modular classroom building on June 10, 2008 at 1430 hours at the request of Donald Strang then acting principal of the Glenville School.

I was requested to go there specifically to inspect the Multi Purpose Room
> of the facility. The room was vacant of any furniture or service equipment at the time I was there. It was obvious to me based on indentations in the floor covering where the food service equipment had been located.

Don Strang and others that were present confirmed that the marks on the floor were from the food service equipment, and that the same equipment would be returned to the room at a later date, and placed in the same locations.

Based on that information and a 100' tape measure I measured the room by length and by width up to the area that would be taken up by the food service equipment.

I do not recall what the specific measurements were and I did not take notes.

Whatever measurements of length X width totaled out to be were divided by fifteen square foot per person. The number 15 square feet per person is derived form the Connecticut Fire Safety Code specifically under
the chapter that deals with "Places of Assembly". That 15 square foot per
person number is what the Fire Code has set as the allowable per person
area when calculated for tables and chairs.

Whatever the net square footage number was on June 10, 2008 when divided by 15 square foot per person came out to 69. something, which was then rounded up to 70.

That number 70 determined that the Multi Purpose Room at the modular classrooms could safely be occupied by that number of persons, when the room was being used as a cafeteria.

The room if used in a more concentrated use such as a lecture room, utilizing folding chairs could safely hold almost twice that number of people, again as per the requirements of the Connecticut Fire Safety Code.

I am confident that the measurements that I took on June 10, 2008 are accurate and that the Multi Purpose Room at the Modular Classrooms may safely be occupied by up to 70 persons when used in a cafeteria arrangement.

Should you have any additional questions please contact me directly.

Thank you.

Joseph H. Benoit, Jr.
Deputy Chief/ Fire Marshal


Please See:

Employee Insubordination - Reviewing the reviews Employees eye ...

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Greenwich Time - On the first day of termination hearings for Fire Marshal Joseph Benoit, John Margenot Jr. took a seat next to his fellow Lash to seek Benoit's ouster, according to Stephanie Paulmeno, director of community health planning and a town employee More ...

Employee Termination Agreements Made Easy - http://www-employeetermination.com/blog

Filed under Lay Off Employee




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