The following email is intended to be a useful summary, backstory, and presentation of potential next steps for the interested parties for Fire Performance in this town...

Portland Fire Department
Portland Parks Department
Commissioner Dan Saltzman's Office
Fire Performers
Venue Owners

The Past:

Nearly every skilled fire performer in this town has played with fire on the Eastbank Esplanade in the last 8 years. But think, for a moment, of who was there when you _weren't_ there. IT had long been a great amateur night, however as things got more dangerous/popular, skilled and safe performers stopped going. It was the drums, or the crowd, or the hours, or the risk of losing one's insurance by association, or the total lack of safety.

For whatever reason, the event lost the support and efforts of those most integral to the fire performance community in this town. And yet it continued. From once a month, to twice a month, to every single week. A massive drum circle formed the heart of the activity, with fire jam an unregulated off-shoot from that. This event went undisturbed through the summer of 2007, and through the winter of 2008, with many believing that nothing would ever change.


The Present:

Currently in this town, a performer wishing to perform in a COMMERCIAL building or property needs to get permission from the property management/owner, and then go to the Fire Department for a free "pinkie permit" which says that they have read the C-7s and that the location has been inspected by the Fire Department. Spinning without a pinkie permit in any non-residential setting is grounds for a $500 fine from the fire permit (including those peeps at Last Thursday), as is spinning in violation of the C-7 guidelines (such as spinning with gasoline).

Approximately 6 weeks ago, conversation erupted on several fire lists at once: PDX-Poi, Portland-Oregon Fire Artists Tribe, Oregon Conclave, perhaps others. One persons concern about the flagrant disregard for basic fire and safety was echoed by many, many performers. Many professed distaste for the current Eastbank Esplanade, and expressed the opinion that they hoped it wouldn't affect fire performance around the city.


Well, now it has.


A meeting was called, hosted at Watershed in the SE of Portland, that was attended by


- Ang
- Deb
- Eric
- dlb (myself)
- Steve
- Alan

Our greatest fear at the time was the Fire Department, not the Parks Department. We feared that if the fire department discovered the lack of extinguishers, wet towels, buckets of water, perimeter, safe fuel dumps, and use of illegal fuels, they would gain the impression that fire performance in this town was being run like that in general.

We pledged to be down there for 8 weeks minimum. We met at 6pm each Sunday, brought all necessary fire safety gear and flags/caution tape, our most controversial insertion. After five weeks, the grumbling and anger from the drummers, from fire performers indignant at the change had mostly died away. Things seemed to be moving towards a safe, sustainable spin jam. Other performers began joining the list of fire safety people talking about this topic:

Randy
Samhain
River
etc.

In the background, the wheels of the bureaucracy had already begun turning. The Fire Marshall's office, which has at least some awareness of the conversations that take place in the fire performance community, called Mark Warrington, the head of Parks. Mark Warrington sent down Officer Rob Pickett, who took the names and phone numbers of the Fire Safety team, that first week.

That was the FIRST WEEK the fire safety team had ever been down there, and we congratulated ourselves that the police had left content that safety was being upheld.

Officer Rob Pickett passed the note to Mark Warrington, Director of Parks, who called Steve on April 7th. Steve passed the contact info for Ang, who arranged a meeting with the parks for April 25th, 2007. We believed that the meeting was to demonstrated that we were keeping the event safe by fire safety standards, and to ask for assistance in dealing with the alcohol issue. We also wanted the fire and parks department to back us up on the specifics of how we were keeping the 10’ perimeter called for by the C-7 using flags/caution tape on Parks Property.

The Meeting:

Yesterday’s meeting had the following attendees:

Parks Department:
Mark Warrington – Director
Cary Coker – Permitting
Barbara Aguon – Safety
Kita Xayachack – Permit Center
Marge White -

Fire Department –
Kari Schimel – Senior Inspector
Jerry Alvarez – Special Event Permitting
Michel Coefield – Special Events

Fire Safety Crew –
Alan Placido
Ben Grad (deadletter b)
Eric Bagai
Steve Burger
Debra Lyn Ochoa
Angela Capello

Independent Fire Performers –
Randy Scheless

While the meeting does deserve its own post, let me summarize briefly here:
Two years ago, the PP&R (Portland Parks and Rec) could have come in, nodded at the current fire safety setup, and asked the Portland Police Department (PPD) to regulate the drinking. If necessary, they could have provided the PFD with written permission to use the property in order that Fire Performers could have individual pinkie permits, meaning that those without permits could be pressured into either not spinning or adopting basic fire and safety standards.

Now, with the “no open flame “ rule, they cannot selectively enforce. The presence of the ubiquitous drinking and partying is to be stopped. Unfortunately, the PP&R feel that they cannot enforce that rule without enforcing the “no open flames rule”.

As of Sunday, we have been told that the PFD, PP&R and PPD will be down to enforce the No Open Flame rule, and to ticket/expel people from the park for drinking.

This means that the DRUM circle can go on. If it doesn’t drink. And if it’s main adherents aren’t expelled for drinking. The Fire Jam aspect is done. For Now.

PP&R reactions in other parks:

Now that the PP&R has become aware of the problem, fire performers in other parks need to be aware that they are breaking the following regs:

1) No Open Flames
2) Performing without a Pinkie Permit, which cannot be obtained for a public park.

The risk for the former is a ticket or expulsion for a year (probably a warning or a desist). The risk for the latter is a $500 fine per person from the PFD (probably a warning or a desist).

Portland Fire Department Reactions:

Jerry Alvarez and Kari Coleman said that it is time to have a more comprehensive permitting system for fire performers. The days of no regs or a Pinkie Permit are nearing an end! I believe that we should grasp this process by the horns and turn it to our advantage. It is not a given that a more comprehensive permitting system (yearly permits by location, individual or troupe) need cost money – they would instead involve a few hours of class in spotting, fuels and regs, and appropriate fire tool composition (no cotton, no wires, etc).


THE FUTURE:
Here’s what we’re going to do: I spent the morning in Commissioner Sam Adams and, more importantly, Commissioner Dan Saltzman’s (parks and rec commissioner) talking about the issue. I would have visted with the Fire Commissioner, however that is currently vacant awaiting the special election. I will attempt to get this email to the two main candidates, Jim Maddaugh and Nick Fish.

The plan would be to have the “Open Flame” rule amended in the following manner:

20.12.110 Fires, Fireworks and Smoking Prohibited.
A. No person shall light any fire in any Park, except in areas and/or facilities designated by the Director for such use and in conformance with all applicable laws. This Section does not prohibit lighting cigarettes, cigars or pipes in areas where smoking is permitted.

B. No person shall possess or ignite any fireworks in any Park, where such possession or use is unlawful under State law. No person shall possess or ignite any otherwise legal fireworks in any of the following Parks, without a permit:

1. Pioneer Courthouse Square;
2. O’Bryant Square;
3. Lownsdale Square;
4. Forecourt/Ira Keller Fountain;
5. Ankeny Square;
6. Classical ChineseGarden;
7. Block 5 Park (Moyer);
8. Eastbank Esplanade;
9. HolladayPark;
10. Any nature park or area designated as a natural area;\
11. Any other Park or Park area designated by the Director.

C. No person shall light or smoke any tobacco products within twenty-five (25) feet of any play structure, picnic table or designated children’s play area, or in an area under permit where prohibited by the permit holder, or in any other place in any Park where smoking is prohibited by the Director.


PROPOSED: (there are other ways to change this, as well, such as ONLY designated the Eastbank Esplanade)
D. Individuals with a yearly permit on file with the Portland Fire Department in their own name are permitted to juggle, perform with, and practice fire performance on PP& R property according to the following guidelines:

1. All c-7 guidelines are followed, especially
i. use of appropriate fuels\
ii. 10’ perimeter maintained between active fire performers and any audience, spectators or passerby
iii. Fire safety personnel present, even if no passerby present
2. No fire performance or fire breathing within 25’ of wooden restrooms, play structures, picnic table, or shelter.
3. Fire performers, perimeter or other setup will maintain a minimum 8’ of passage for the public on public walks and right-of-ways.


Again, if the Open Flames ordinance were amended, the drinking could leave, and the drummers and safe fire performers could stay.


This conversation continued on tribes.tribe.net/PDXFIREJAM
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Dead Letter: You've Got A Friend In Noise