Fire Marshall trippin

**ReLo442** · 10-18-2011, 04:46 AM

So Im going to be blowing glass at a local hippy hangout this weekend for their block party. I will be outdoors and im wondering what kinda permits I will need. I have looked on the city website (houston tx) and the only thing i found was information about festivals that if propane is used at the festival you need a $250 permit plus the cost of hiring a inspector to come check ur shit every four hours at something like $62.50 an hour.... but that doesnt really apply in this case because im not the one running the fest im simply a vendor attending. any light on the subject would be greatly appreciated. Ill call the fire marshall later today and see what he says but its too early.

**boxfan willy** · 10-18-2011, 05:44 AM

If you are rocking the Last Concert Cafe, then DON"T CALL THE FIRE MARSHALL.
The last thing that kind couple will want is the fire marshalls snooping. IMHO, the LCC is a strange vend. Closest thing to being on Shakedown in Texas.

Call management, get their advice on how to handle it. Most likely, you will be set up at the vendor booths on the southside of the stage area. Get an oxygen generator if possible. Seems the two things FM's are concerned with are high pressure oxy and flashbacks on the fuel.

$.02
boxfan

**ReLo442** · 10-18-2011, 09:18 AM

your right on the money willy. Thing is the guy im sharing the booth with says the fire marshall WILL BE THERE already. Yes its a weird venue, Ive sold glass there gorilla style many times but ive never set a booth up and never done glass there.

are you in houston area? Ive seen ur stuff at THC

**Shatner** · 10-18-2011, 10:02 AM

The times I've blown at LCC there's been no fire marshal and no problems.

**barefoot stash** · 10-18-2011, 10:04 AM

This is pretty standard procedure when demoing out in public. The permit thing is kind of bogus. Usually I get the venue to cover the "fire watch." The off duty firemen are usually really cool and I have sold them my demos on more than one occasion. I have never run into issues with high pressure cylinders. I just lay them down underneath the table so they can't get knocked over. Don't forget your fire extinguisher. I like to put up some sort of rope to keep the public back. Not so much a fire marshal issue, however it amazes me how many people will get all grabby on my table when I forget it even though they just watched me rage a piece of glass. Wouldn't you think..."Hey that's probably hot?"

**Dubbz** · 10-18-2011, 10:25 AM

Damn I'd love to come back to LCC to check that out sometime, is this going to be a regular event for them or a one time deal?

**menty666** · 10-18-2011, 10:28 AM

If you lay the cylinder down, sandbag or chock it. Every little bit of safety forethought you can show helps should anyone bitch.

**ReLo442** · 10-18-2011, 06:01 PM

well after all the calls I made today, all the research I did....turns out this aint going down without permits. For some reason the fire marshall is already going to be there, prolly to make sure they dont excede capacity and according to the official organizer of the event we need permits to blow glass here. Called about permits and It will be approx $400 for the night. I really dont think I would even sell that much glass so me and my friend from Dallas are calling it off. She was going to buy a $100 bus ticket to get down here for the event, so we just decided to do it another time. That actually kinda works out tho because I just messed my back up yesterday and according to the chiropractor im not to lift anything until next week. So I woulda had to pay someone to load everything up for me, then pay someone else to unload at the event, then load, then unload....total pain in the ass. My friend that goes is a cute lil girl so I cant exactly expect her to load a 100# propane cylinder or a K tank for that matter.

For those who asked, LCC has never let me blow glass there before. Anytime I have sold glass there it was "gorilla style" where I just walk around with my case and ask people if they are interested in "hand blown glass". Those who smoke (90% of the people that go there) know what i talkin about and will say no or yes and i show them the case. Those that dont, I simply show them the jewelry case instead of the pipe case. Its def shakedown street style, but the owners arent to hip to selling pipes. Ive talked to one of them before and he basically told me "If I dont see it, I dont care". They have live music a couple nights a week, and its always a cool place to go with a few friends and chill. The food is a 3 out of 5 but the wait staff is usually pretty slow unless you sit inside.

And ANY event Ive ever dont I either lay the cylinder down with cones around it so the valve doesnt get kicked, or I strap it to a tree/light pole or I leave it laying in my truck and just pull the truck right up behind my tent. I ALWAYS have a fire extinguisher close by and usually set up cones or caution tape so people cant get directly in front of the flame. As mentioned above, its amazing how many people will walk right up to the flame, grab something right off the table, lean into the flame to see what im doing, or want to grab something out of the kiln when I show them "there's your piece, itll be ready in the morning"

wow thats a novel

**newmexicomagma** · 10-18-2011, 07:41 PM

just set up, if they shut u down they shut u down, if not u have a good time and u saved 400 bucks.

**po-boy** · 10-18-2011, 08:33 PM

dunno bout Houston but in fort worth all you need is a $55 (per year) hot works permit to run any torch outdoors in a public area.

**Braden Hammond** · 10-18-2011, 09:21 PM

Originally Posted by newmexicomagma

just set up, if they shut u down they shut u down, if not u have a good time and u saved 400 bucks.

yeayer! just set up. The "fire watch" idea is good. put all the oxy and propane hidden under the table. l... we want to here what happens? should be fun to say the least right?

**Dubbz** · 10-18-2011, 09:24 PM

Yeah how long you been going there selling? I may have seen you. I always went on wednesday nights

**Aussie** · 10-21-2011, 06:08 PM

Originally Posted by newmexicomagma

just set up, if they shut u down they shut u down, if not u have a good time and u saved 400 bucks.

Now that's just fantastic advice, well done, it must have taken you hours of thinking hard to come up with that one!! You don't mention the undoubtedly very small investment in fines that may be incurred. Are fines tax deductible? I won't even go into what it may mean to the venue, the organisers and future possibilities in having live torching at this event. I don't know how stringent the laws are over there regarding this sort of thing, but I imagine that they're pretty serious about fire safety. I wouldn't be tripping so hard as to cross the authorities on something like this and put future opportunities, for myself and/or other people, at risk. Going in there with feigned ignorance seems very selfish, remember, in a situation like this it's not just all about you.

**ReLo442** · 10-21-2011, 09:55 PM

I WILL NOT be setting up. This was my friend lauren's gig, I was simply letting her use my torch and tools so she wouldnt have to lug everything from Dallas. She has decided not to come and I have already told the appropriate partys that I will not be attending and made other plans. I will be setting up in other locations for the next 4 wknds in a row so this wknd will be a nice needed break. Plus I gotta cover for my old boss at the store tomoro so when im done with that ill be at home doing prodo for the rest of the weekend.