Mapleton council has turned down a request from Drayton Entertainment for financial assistance with the cost of fire safety equipment at the theatre company’s Drayton facility.
In a letter presented to council at its Aug. 14 meeting, Drayton Entertainment general manager Peter Black explained the Mapleton Fire Department has issued an order requiring the theatre to modify its fire plan from a two-stage to a single-stage response.
Under the theatre’s current two-stage response system, staff are able to determine if a fire alarm is false before evacuating the audience chamber and dropping the fire curtain.
A single-stage response requires the fire curtain to drop and the audience chamber be evacuated immediately whenever a fire alarm occurs.
“A two-stage response is a safer response, given the average age of our patrons, and is used at all of our theaters and more than likely in all theatres,” Black stated.
Following a fire inspection conducted this year by National Fire and Marine, and discussions with Mapleton Fire Chief Rick Richardson, the theatre was issued an order requiring the fire plan to be modified to implement a single-stage response.
“Doing so would be extremely disruptive in the event of false fire alarms,” states Black.
“Our fire safety plan can only remain two-stage if we replace the existing fire panel with a two-stage panel,” the letter continues. A quote from National Fire and Marine puts the cost of the new panel at $9,995.
“It is my understanding that the township accrues $5,000 annually, which is to be used for upgrades to the theatre. Drayton Entertainment respectfully requests financial assistance from the Township of Mapleton to cover the cost of the new fire panel,” the letter states.
In a written report to council, clerk Patty Sinnamon notes the municipality’s lease agreement “speaks to the establishment of an annual $5,000 reserve fund for structural maintenance.”
However, Sinnamon states in her report that, in her view, the request does not “meet the definition of structural maintenance set out in the agreement.” She recommended council not support the funding request. Council voted to accept the recommendation not to fund the new fire panel, with only councilor Andy Knetsch voting against the recommendation.
