Casinos Can’t Afford to Gamble Life Safety
Mull over the safeguarding of a casino and instantaneously video surveillance comes to mind. But how about considering the fire/life-safety perspective? A Reno, Nev., facility serves as an example of what it takes to provide casinos with solutions that satisfy both codes and the unique demands of these customers.
An artist's rendering of the Peppermill Hotel Casino in Reno, Nev.
Riverboat Casinos Must Dock to Fire Codes
When it comes to fire and life-safety solutions, riverboat casinos are an en
tity unto themselves. Until recently, most riverboat casinos needed to adhere to U.S. Coast Guard regulations, which vary greatly from the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) Fire and Life Safety code.
Typically, riverboat casinos cannot be land-based. They can have pavilions and ancillary services that are in a dockside building, but the boats must be functional. Even though they are required to be capable of cruising, riverboat casinos differ from other vessels so following Coast Guard regulations may not fully protect occupants.[IMAGE]gaming3-1.jpg[/IMAGE]
These requirements are changing. In Illinois, for example, riverboat casino operators have the option to change a boat’s status to a permanently-docked vessel, which is covered in a specific section of the Life Safety Code. That means the 2000 edition of the NFPA 101 Fire and Life Safety Code, as well as regulations from the local jurisdiction, would apply instead.
“They can stay as a vessel under the Coast Guard regulations, or they can apply for permanently-moored vessel status, which takes them out of the Coast Guard regulations and puts them under, from a state level, the Office of the State Fire Marshal of Illinois,” explains Keith Frangiamore, vice president of operations, for Elgin, Ill.-based Fire Safety Consultants Inc.
Shifting from the Coast Guard requirements to the Office of the State Fire Marshal and local jurisdiction is no easy task, however. Coast Guard regulations require equipment specifically designed for ships, such as bells, whistles and horns; boat sprinklers, which draw in sea water; and possibly heat-related detection. Changing status requires changes to the ship’s higher voltage bells and horns, as well as other notification devices for alerting the occupants.
“Riverboat casinos are now required to have smoke detection and a full sprinkler system by the Life Safety Code, as well as a voice-notification and visual system, which the boats didn’t have under Coast Guard regulations,” Frangiamore says.
The ship’s water-tight bulkheads present an added uniqueness to these types of installations: When penetrating for sprinkler piping and alarm wiring, the bulkheads must be restored to a water-tight condition. Because the boat was never designed to have these types of systems installed, power requirements are also an issue.
Additional egress elements are needed in order to meet code as well. Points of egress need to be designed with floatation stability in mind to keep the boat from flipping. Sequencing egress and how that interfaces with the pavilions is also an issue. For example, the boat may need additional egress through or separate from the pavilion.
The pavilion generally has its own fire/life-safety system and should be interfaced with that of the permanently moored vessel. The fire department voice override on the voice messaging system, for example, can be interfaced in a fashion that could address either or both systems.
“They have to be interconnected because you can’t egress the boat through the pavilion without notifying the pavilion occupants,” explains Frangiamore. “However, you can egress the pavilion without notifying the boat.”
Mary Foster is Business Line Leader, Security Business Unit, for St. Charles, Ill.-based System Sensor. She can be contacted at [email protected].
If you enjoyed this article and want to receive more valuable industry content like this, click here to sign up for our FREE digital newsletters!
Related Content
Security Is Our Business, Too
For professionals who recommend, buy and install all types of electronic security equipment, a free subscription to Commercial Integrator + Security Sales & Integration is like having a consultant on call. You’ll find an ideal balance of technology and business coverage, with installation tips and techniques for products and updates on how to add to your bottom line.
A FREE subscription to the top resource for security and integration industry will prove to be invaluable.
