Theme Camp Requirement- Fire Lanes

[LowePro]

Ok so I've done the requisite reading and research, but am confused. First of all, I get the need for fire safety...not complaining here, just trying to clarify and make sure that we give Placement what they want and make it easy on everyone. That said, the camp layout page is confusing:
http://burningman.org/event/camps/camp-layouts/

#1) "Camps must have an entrance into camp at least 12’ wide for access fire lanes. Avoid one-way-in and one-way-out (dead-end) fire lanes."

It doesn't say anything about this requirement applying only to camps greater than size XX. So we're to assume this applies to any size theme camp, right?

#2) "Ideally the entrance for a fire lane should be straight into camp, centrally located. For camps with hard-sided structures, this fire lane should be a straight lane with ability to either turn around or back straight out. "

Ok so #1 says to avoid dead-end lanes. But #2 says the fire lane should be a straight line with the ability to back straight out. That sounds like a dead-end lane.

Then #4 says "Any camp or village larger than 150’x150’ needs a 30’ fire lane running through the camp/village" That seems to make more sense, camps of this size need to have an extra-wide fire lane with separate entrance/exit. So, smaller camps do not need a separate entrance/exit?

looking for some clarification, thanks.

[tamarakay]

The event is called "Burning Man" -- Probably a smart idea to keep fire extinguishers around no matter the (perceived) need. I keep a case of them handy at all times.

Each large camp should have a radio to ESD too.

FTFY

MURS capable radios can be found for under $100. For example, a new Baofeng dual-band transceiver is around $30 on Amazon. Nothing fancy, but worth its weight in gold if you need emergency medical services. I've mentioned this time and time again but folks seem to brush off the idea of keeping Playa911 available. Personally you will not see me leave camp without one (in camp we have a direct line to ESD).

Helpful frequencies in case of emergency:
911 / MURS Ch.5 "Green Dot": 154.6 MHz, PL 97.4
Black Rock Amateur Radio: 440.175 MHz (+), PL 100.0 Hz

The amateur frequency is for licensed HAMs but can be used by anyone in an emergency. Personally, I'd trust the HAMs getting a message to ESD more than MURS.

[tamarakay]

The event is called "Burning Man" -- Probably a smart idea to keep fire extinguishers around no matter the (perceived) need. I keep a case of them handy at all times.

Each large camp should have a radio to ESD too.

FTFY

MURS capable radios can be found for under $100. For example, a new Baofeng dual-band transceiver is around $30 on Amazon. Nothing fancy, but worth its weight in gold if you need emergency medical services. I've mentioned this time and time again but folks seem to brush off the idea of keeping Playa911 available. Personally you will not see me leave camp without one (in camp we have a direct line to ESD).

Helpful frequencies in case of emergency:
911 / MURS Ch.5 "Green Dot": 154.6 MHz, PL 97.4
Black Rock Amateur Radio: 440.175 MHz (+), PL 100.0 Hz

We bought two, one to leave in the public space of camp (tethered down somehow) and one for when we roam. Som the stallion is now wondering about radio etiqutte. I'm pretty much thinking aaaawwwwwwwwwwww help help help, but he says there are ways of speaking on radios.
The amateur frequency is for licensed HAMs but can be used by anyone in an emergency. Personally, I'd trust the HAMs getting a message to ESD more than MURS.

[tamarakay]

That was weird. , but I did end up with a question on there somewhere, I hate how this apple thing displays text boxes.

[halo_in_jeopardy]

asr9754 has captured my confusion as well:
#1) "Camps must have an entrance into camp at least 12’ wide for access fire lanes. Avoid one-way-in and one-way-out (dead-end) fire lanes."
It doesn't say anything about this requirement applying only to camps greater than size XX. So we're to assume this applies to any size theme camp, right?

#2) "Ideally the entrance for a fire lane should be straight into camp, centrally located. For camps with hard-sided structures, this fire lane should be a straight lane with ability to either turn around or back straight out."
Ok so #1 says to avoid dead-end lanes. But #2 says the fire lane should be a straight line with the ability to back straight out. That sounds like a dead-end lane.

Then #4 says "Any camp or village larger than 150’x150’ needs a 30’ fire lane running through the camp/village"
That seems to make more sense, camps of this size need to have an extra-wide fire lane with separate entrance/exit. So, smaller camps do not need a separate entrance/exit?

Plus, there's a reference to the fire lane going down the middle of the block - which would require knowing in advance who your neightbors are, and working out arrangements with them before submitting your plans

Is anyone looking into contacting the org to get some clarification? This is all well-intended and a good idea, but the current descriptions of the requirements are not clear at all ...

[Elliot]

So... now I'm thinking... since a fire storm is our greatest hazard... maybe the city ought to be laid out with back alleys thru the middle of every block? The city would be made correspondingly larger, so the usable land would be the same.
This would also solve the issue of getting late-arriving and early-departing campers in and out of the camps' residential areas.
If this idea makes sense to a lot of us, I could send it in to HeadQuarters.

[Just_Joe]

So... now I'm thinking... since a fire storm is our greatest hazard... maybe the city ought to be laid out with back alleys thru the middle of every block? The city would be made correspondingly larger, so the usable land would be the same.
This would also solve the issue of getting late-arriving and early-departing campers in and out of the camps' residential areas.
If this idea makes sense to a lot of us, I could send it in to HeadQuarters.

A mid-block alley of 30' would add almost 400' to the distance from Esplanade to the last ring and would also make the outer blocks wider,
not to mention issues with flagging and people parking/camping/encroaching in them.

The standard practice I'm finding on the interwebs specify that a fire lane be within 150' of the building/area it is supposed to service.
Any of the BRC roads (except Esplanade to A) would fit this requirement. At 200', blocks aren't *that* deep.
Keep Burning Man Potentially Fatal.

[FIGJAM]

My thoughts exactly Joe.

If you're past A and not in a village, the regular streets make everything accessible for trucks and hoses.

[mooserider]

Yes, but are people laying out their camps such that ESD could get a charged fire hose or an ambulance gurney through from the streets?

An EMT is supposed to be able to lift 150 pounds (part of the job requirements), so any two EMT's should be able to move any reasonable-sized patient (assuming not pinned by wreckage), but trying to carry one (plus medical gear) 150 feet through playa dust would be quite a bit of work (and risk for the patient from being dropped if the EMT's trip over a guy line or rebar stake). Can a gurney even roll on the playa surface?

A charged fire hose tends to want to straighten out, and is strong enough (from the water pressure) to push small and medium-sized objects out of the way; is there a straight path from the street to every single point in a camp?

So, asking for reasonable sized paths to get a fire engine or ambulance in is not unreasonable (assuming you value your life).

[FIGJAM]

We try to leave a little elbow room around our camps.

[Rusted Iron]

It was a challenge to get most of our camp's public features up front, with that 12' swath down the middle, but I managed to get about 70% up there. I'm hoping that the access road will serve as a pathway to draw visitors inside. Maybe line the edges with pinwheels...

When I submitted the layout, I followed the example of down the middle entrance then a hard left exit... Which will lead into someone else's camp... But I thought that was better than splitting the whole camp in half and inviting people to cut through the camping area.

We have rolls of green plastic fencing that isn't bad to look at, now we'll just have to add a few tons of t-posts to hold it up. (I thought we would be lightening our load this year... Nope.)

[maladroit]

Will BMORG be patrolling the non-placed areas of the city to enforce similar rules? Back of the G streets you could see a solid 1000 foot block with completely solid frontage on all sides, with 100+ separate camps (some of them individuals with no frontage at all).

Or will they be laying out the city itself for proper fire access (carve it all into 100 foot chunks before anyone arrives)?

[Just_Joe]

We'll have the Fire Lane entrances marked of with 4' orange construction fence and a sign.

[retropsycho]

The 30-foot requirement has been removed from the camp layout instructions.

12-feet should be wide enough.