NCJ Number
61304
Date Published
1977
Length
3 pages
Annotation
FIRE DEFENSE IN PENAL INSTITUTIONS THROUGH CONTROL OF THE USE OF COMBUSTIBLE MATERIALS IS DISCUSSED.
Abstract
ONE OF THE ASPECTS OF FIRE DEFENSE IN PENAL INSTITUTIONS IS FUEL CONTROL, WHICH IS THE CONCEPT OF ELIMINATING COMBUSTIBLE MATERIALS THAT, IF IGNITED, WILL PRODUCE FIRES WHICH DEVELOP AND SPREAD AT A FAST RATE AND PRODUCE LARGE QUANTITIES OF SMOKE. MATTRESSES, PADDED CELL MATERIALS, AND INTERIOR FINISH ARE TYPES OF MATERIALS THAT CAN HAVE 'FAST FIRE' CHARACTERISTICS. IN RECENT YEARS, EACH OF THESE MATERIALS HAS FIGURED PROMINENTLY IN SERIOUS PENAL INSTITUTION FIRES. MATTRESSES, WHICH ARE PARTICULARLY VULNERABLE TO OPEN FLAME IGNITIONS (MATCHES, LIGHTERS, CIGARETTES), CAN BE MADE TO RESIST SUCH IGNITION. MATTRESSES THAT CAN RESIST CIGARETTE IGNITION IN 18 SPECIFIED POINTS CAN MEET FEDERAL STANDARD FF4-72. CURRENTLY, THE NATIONAL BUREAU OF STANDARDS IS DEVELOPING FIRE PERFORMANCE STANDARDS FOR INSTITUTIONAL MATTRESSES; THESE STANDARDS WILL BE BASED ON SMALL SCALE TESTING OF MATTRESS MATERIALS AND COMPONENTS AND WILL INCLUDE DESIGN CRITERIA. THE BEST MATTRESSES FOR USE IN PENAL INSTITUTIONS APPEAR TO BE THOSE WITH PADDING MATERIAL OF COTTON TREATED WITH BORIC ACID. AT THE PRESENT TIME, NO REMEDIAL FIRE SAFETY SOLUTIONS HAVE BEEN FOUND FOR THE PADDING IN SOME CELLS, OTHER THAN THE REMOVAL OF THE FOAM PADDING MATERIALS. MANY CORRECTIONAL AUTHORITIES INDICATE PADDED CELLS ARE NO LONGER NECESSARY DUE TO THE USE OF DRUGS TO RESTRAIN VIOLENT INMATES. THE USE OF COMBUSTIBLE FIBERBOARD, FOAM PLASTIC, THIN PANELING OF WOOD OR PLASTIC, AND UNTREATED PLYWOOD AS INTERIOR FINISHES HAVE FUELED A NUMBER OF FATAL INSTITUTIONAL FIRES. ONLY PAINTED MASONRY OR GYPSUM BOARD SURFACES SHOULD BE USED FOR WALL FINISHES. FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ON PRISON FIRE SAFETY MATTERS, TWO SPECIALISTS ARE MENTIONED. (RCB)