Fire Safety Plan

Fire safety is Interpretive Arson’s first priority. This is more true for Dance Dance Immolation than any other project. To date no one has sustained any injury from playing DDI, including members of our crew and hundreds of players. Many get a bit spooked after the first blast of fire, but they quickly recover and come to enjoy the game. As with an amusement park ride, DDI is made to look and feel dangerous, while actually being very safe.

The space inside the DDI perimeter is tightly controlled by a highly-trained, fast-acting team of pyros. Only crew and fully-suited players are allowed near the fire, and everyone inside the perimeter is able to initiate emergency shutdown in seconds. In addition, the DDI machine monitors its own state and shuts down automatically in the event of safety equipment failure.

Here’s a short list of some safety measures we’ve taken and components we actively monitor during a run of the game:

  • Comprehensive proximity suit system with custom modifications to help seal out flame. Suits are maintained at positive pressure to supply the player with externally sourced breathable air, exclude fire and hot gases from the suit, and keep the player cool.
  • Low-level software failsafes that ensure that player flame exposure stays well within safe limits, regardless of the player’s skill level.
  • Redundant disarming procedure that automatically purges fuel from the player-facing flame effects.
  • Dynamic monitoring of system status, including player suit air pressure.
  • All emergency systems fail closed: if a cable is disconnected, the game shuts off.
  • Crew members keep watch of players for signs of distress throughout the game, and monitor the perimeter for unauthorized persons.

For a complete description of our safety systems and procedures, take a look at our fire safety plan. You’ll always be able to find the latest version here. The plan is in constant revision, and we’re always looking for ways to improve it. Feel free to email any questions or comments to firesafety@interpretivearson.com.

Download the current plan (PDF), 2007-05-16, v5.

When reading the plan, it will be helpful to pay attention to the project footprint:

In addition to the various fire safety measures, we require players to sign a Release Form.