On Tuesday, Feb. 11 at approximately 7:45 PM fire crews responded to an alarm at 290 Elwood Davis Road in Liverpool, N.Y., the home of the USITT National Office. More than 60 personnel from 14 different fire companies were onsite fighting the fire before it was extinguished. 

According to communications from the building and local news reports, there was significant structural damage to one side of the building. Water and fire damage were contained to that side of the building, but smoke damage occurred throughout the building. The cause of the fire is still under investigation and building management is still determining the path forward for the building.

USITT’s office is on the opposite side of the structure from the fire area and did not incur water damage. However, the smoke damage was extensive, according to Executive Director Laura Lee Everett, who was able to gain access to the USITT offices for the first time to survey the damage on Friday, Feb. 14 and later tour the office with a claims representative from our insurance carrier.

Of most immediate concern was securing all of the Conference materials and supplies which were being readied for shipment to the Columbus staging warehouse when the blaze erupted. Members of the National Office staff who live in proximity to the office joined volunteers from Member company Syracuse Scenery and Stage Lighting and, under the direction of Director of Education & Training Christine Troscher, assessed any damage to Conference materials and repacked those that were salvageable on Thursday, Feb. 20 for an on time shipment to Columbus via the Institute’s general services contractor, Shepard Exposition Services.

“We are so incredibly thankful to have Members like former USITT president Chris Kaiser of Syracuse Scenery who reached out immediately and offered assistance,” noted Everett. “The lifelong commitment to the Institute from so many of our Members is what makes USITT so special.”

The building is without electricity, water or HVAC service and is a posted “unsafe structure” by the Town of Salina, the municipal jurisdiction for the location. It is unknown at this time whether USITT will be able to resume operations from this location. The building remains under the control of the Fire Marshal and access remains restricted.

Everett has met with smoke remediation companies to determine the best way to remove and clean important Institute assets stored in the office that are not related to Conference.

“We will have a joyful 65th Annual Conference & Stage Expo in Columbus beginning on March 5,” said Everett. “Thanks to the hard work of the USITT staff and our local volunteers, there’s not going to be any impact to the Conference experiences of our attendees and exhibitors.”

Since post-Conference operations are still in flux, Shepard has agreed to hold the return Conference shipment in one of their warehouses until such time as USITT has determined the physical location for National Office operations. “USITT is incredibly grateful for our ongoing partnership with Shepard and the assistance they have provided this year – and every year. It is truly an incredible partnership,” said Everett.

For Members who may need to contact the National Office in the short term, here are some things that may assist you.

• Via Email: No interruption. All USITT National Office Staff members can access their email remotely.
• Via Phone: During office hours only. The phone system was recently converted to a digital system which can be operated remotely. Staff members who are working on Conference operations may not be available by phone. Consider email.
• USITT Website: No interruption. The website is housed off-site.
• Conference Registration: No interruption. You may register online 24 hours a day.
• Payments: Those expecting payments from USITT may find that these are delayed for a short period. If you are concerned about your payment, please reach out to the Accounting Department.
• U.S. Mail and Package Deliveries: All mail has been forwarded to a temporary address where it can be picked up and processed. If you must mail something to the National Office, you may continue to use the 290 Elwood Davis Road postal address until further notice. Please do not send time-sensitive mail at this time. Forwarded mail will not be picked up March 1-16. You are strongly encouraged to send communications via email.
• Anyone who wishes to donate to USITT to help with expenses related to fire recovery can send a donation via www.usitt.org/donate. Click the red “Make Your Gift Today” button to donate to the USITT Future Fund. Please contribute online. If you must send your donation via a check, please contact USITT before sending.