Fire Permission information:

Fire-eating is very dangerous, but it is most dangerous for the person performing than to any facility. The flame is not much more than a candle flame.

High ceilings are required for two reasons:

- Any minimal wispy smoke is dissipated immediately

- The heat or smoke detectors will not sense the presence of the fire and set off an alarm prematurely.

However, Lauren requests that anyone wishing to have her performance to get PERMISSION from the facility before the event date. Permission is not hard to obtain, but some facilities are more particular than others. Lauren has performed in historic buildings as well as huge, elaborate hotels. She has worked well with Fire Marshals in many states, including the stringent Nevada, Virginia, and Maryland jurisdictions. Her signed photo is gratefully hanging in an office in Fairfax, VA, one of the toughest Fire districts in the country.

Some jurisdictions are more stringent than others. Lauren believes in the adage: "Better to be granted permission than to get into trouble". It would not reflect well on a corporation to create a bad relationship with a facility for presenting an act that the facility didn't know about.

How to gain permission from your facility:

• Talk to the Catering Manager (or Events Manager). Explain that you have a speaker who uses a candle-amount of fire, and also eats fire. Explain that there is NO FIRE-SPITTING WHATSOEVER in the presentation. (This is usually their first worry). Explain that Lauren is a professional speaker who has presented around the country and has been safe in every location. Explain also that the flame is quite small and can actually be extinguished by Lauren's hand -- yet, it actually goes into her mouth. Explain that Lauren takes every available precaution while onstage - and also believes in being truthful enough to ask permission first.

• Offer that Lauren herself should speak to the Catering Manager; they will start realizing that you are not trying to be underhanded with any endeavor. Usually this works the first time, and your permission is often granted. They usually ask for insurance proof, and Lauren can accommodate this request.

• The Catering Manager may grant the request for permission, or he/she might get nervous and ask to send this request to the Facilities Manager and/or the Engineering Manager. Don't be nervous, this is the normal chain of command.

• If you have to speak to the Facilities Manager, repeat the above speech, calmly and respectfully.

• This person may grant the permission or start wondering whether the local Fire Marshal should be involved. This also is not unusual, although it starts bordering on over-excitement on the part of the facility and the local fire-code jurisdiction. Just stay calm and realize that everyone is passing the buck, not wanting to be the person with the authority to take what they think is a "potentially hazardous" situation into their jurisdiction. This is a moment for you to practice your peace; how to think about the "possible" by being aware of the "negatives".

• The Fire Marshal likes hearing certain things, so it may be best to send him/her to Lauren for questions. . . . one of the things that the Fire Marshal needs to know is Lauren's insistence on being granted permission first: usually, only the wild-card performers won't ask permission, relying on the old adage: "It's better to apologize than to ask permission". This is not widely accepted in professional circumstances. Know that Lauren will work with authorities to calm their nerves and represent your event with peak respect.

• Eventually, the permission is usually granted. Lauren has never been turned down from a facility, but there might be a little grumbling for a while. This process should never be rushed, but it shouldn't be allowed to be extended too long, either. Stay on top of the process while the various managers discuss this process; keep notes so you know where the last person left off.

• A final note: every Fire Marshal that Lauren has met with, has always said, "That little bit of flame? They called me down here for that? Why sure, you can perform with that! I thought it was something really dangerous!" This shows you that everyone thinks there is some huge plume of uncontrollable fire; they don't realize that this is small enough to be placed in a human's mouth.

Finally, don't be nervous yourself. Be ready for anything. Be calm, be hopeful, but don't be "attached" to an outcome. This will enhance your enjoyment when all problems are solved and everything continues as planned.