Long shot: Keeping the odds of fire low at Churchill Downs

Nov 1, 2001 12:00 PM, Robert Bailey Glenn Woods Tobias Roush

On the first Saturday in May, thousands are drawn to Churchill Downs by a simple premise: “A run at the roses.” Few people in the packed grandstand ever think about fire safety as the 50-1 shot rounds the stretch. Luckily, track officials have fire risks under control.

Thanks to the fire-detection and protection equipment provided by Siemens Building Technologies Fire Safety Division, Florham Park, N.J., the 250,000 Kentucky Derby spectators, hundreds of employees and equine superheroes have little to worry about in the area of fire safety.

Life safety and property protection for patrons and employees, the horses and the historic grounds are considered a top priority at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Ky. A sprinkler system and conventional fire alarms protect much of the complex, as does the 24-hour security crew — an augmented staff of approximately 75 security professionals.

In addition, advanced life safety and networking capabilities are being installed in conjunction with general maintenance and renovation upgrades. Management is also considering serving the entire area with an integrated security system, including state-of-the-art voice annunciation and an interfaced, networked security/alarm system.

Renovations and expansions of the Gate I administration and main security offices and the adjacent Kentucky Derby Museum and dining facilities were recently completed. The area has been redesigned to incorporate the track entrance and the museum as a single, handsome unit.

Installation of the Siemens fire security system was completed along with the renovation. An MXL multiplexed, distributed-intelligence early-warning fire detection system oversees the office areas and an MXLV, which includes voice annunciation/evacuation arrangements, handles the museum.

To ensure appropriate oversight, the MXL/MXLV systems operate through two control panels. One is situated at the newly expanded security area at Gate I, which is manned around the clock. The other is in the mechanical room behind the cafeteria.

The MXL consoles monitor sprinklers and water-flow switches, pull stations and speaker/strobes located throughout the facility, as well as smoke detectors in the dining room. The MXLV also monitors separate fire suppression systems, employing freestanding canisters of fire suppressant agent, located within cooking hoods in the kitchen.

A newly-built two-story dormitory housing 220 stable employees features similar fire protection technology. It has total smoke detector coverage, including audible annunciator bases in all sleeping rooms monitored by a Siemens Fire Division MXL-IQ console.

The enormous facility, which has existed in American sports lore since Colonel M. Lewis Clark opened it in 1875, is under the blanket of fire protection. Overwhelming as Derby Day appears, on site or on television, Churchill Downs is always prepared for the challenge of protection.

FOR THE RECORD

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For information, please circle the Reader Service number (listed below) on one of the Reader Service cards in the issue or visit infoLINK at www.securitysolutions.com.

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ABOUT THE AUTHORS

This article was submitted by Robert Bailey, director of security, Glenn Woods, assistant director of security and safety coordinator, and Tobias Roush, sales service manager of Churchill Downs, Louisville, Ky.

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