Flame resistance certificate

Any fabric hung in an assembly space may have to be shown to be flame resistant, and the way that is demonstrated in the United States is a certificate referencing NFPA 701, the standard test methods for flame propagation of textiles and films.

The first thing worth understanding is in the title. NFPA 701 is a set of test methods, not a rating somebody passes in the abstract. One method covers single-layer materials such as ordinary drape; another covers denser and multilayer materials such as coated fabrics and films. A certificate is a statement that a specific material was tested by a specific method and behaved within the criteria.

That is why a generic letter is not useful. The certificate has to identify the fabric actually in the room — the goods, from the supplier, by name — and a fire marshal who asks for it is entitled to one that matches what is hanging.

There is no single national rule requiring it at every event. The requirement comes from the authority having jurisdiction, and for tents it is commonly a condition of the permit being issued at all. In South Florida that means the state fire prevention code plus local amendments, which differ by county and are revised, so the operative question is always what this jurisdiction requires for this event.

The practical kit is the certificate for every goods type on site, plus a sample swatch, since an inspector may choose to test rather than read.

Corporate event production — owned inventory, our own crew, and a site survey before anything is specified.

• Soft goods The collective name for every piece of fabric in a production — drapes, legs, borders, skirts, cycs and backdrops — and a category that lives or dies on its paperwork.
• Pipe and drape Weighted bases, uprights and crossbars carrying fabric panels — the fastest way to build a wall, and the thing most often ordered short.