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

Laura J. DiBella

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> 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
>

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