O'ahu clubs could see fire safety checks
| • | Death toll reaches 96 in Rhode Island nightclub blaze |
By Scott Ishikawa
Advertiser Staff Writer
In the aftermath of the Chicago and Rhode Island nightclub tragedies this week, Honolulu Fire Department officials yesterday said they are considering night inspections of O'ahu clubs next week, and one nightspot owner welcomed the proposed safety checks.
Associated Press
At least 96 people died in Thursday's Rhode Island nightclub fire. The tragedy came three days after 21 people were killed in a stampede at a Chicago nightspot.
The Station nightclub in West Warwick, R.I, was destroyed by the fire that began after the heavy metal band Great White used pyrotechnics during its performance. Almost 100 people died in the blaze, and dozens were injured.
"What happened on the Mainland is a tragedy that no one wants to happen in their own community or any other community," Fire Chief Attilio Leonardi said yesterday.
He said the Honolulu Fire Department is considering an initial round of inspections of about a dozen nightclubs to determine if there are any major violations of the fire code and whether further checks are required.
Fire officials discontinued routine nighttime inspections in 1995 because the problems being identified did not warrant full-time investigation, said Fire Battalion Chief Lloyd Rogers of the department's fire prevention bureau.
The Fire Department's 34 inspectors check clubs when complaints are lodged against an establishment, typically at night. Most of the five to 10 complaints a year involved crowds over capacity, he said. In addition, Leonardi said, inspectors check clubs with a capacity of more than 300 people once a year during daylight hours; those with a capacity of fewer than 300 are inspected every two years.
Rogers said the department is considering starting next week's nighttime inspections of a dozen clubs that had previous complaints of crowding "as a precaution to put some fears to rest."
• Be aware of your surroundings. Take a moment to learn the location of the fire exits. • During an emergency, walk briskly to the nearest exit. Running could start a panic. • At hotel establishments, take the nearest stairwell. • Where there is a crowd, consider taking an alternate fire exit if it is deemed safe. The main entrance may not be the best way to get out if everyone heads for it at once. • Call 911 to report suspected violations to fire officials immediately if you see a fire exit or stairwell that is obstructed, chained off or locked. A Honolulu fire inspector is on call 24 hours a day to check on complaints. • Don't enter a nighttime establishment if you fear it is too crowded.
Fire officials declined to disclose the names of the clubs, but said each would be notified in advance so they can address potential violations such as obstructed fire exits, unserviced extinguishers and fire hoses, and fire exit signs that are not properly illuminated. Rogers said the inspections would probably be done during business hours. "We want them to fix the violations ahead of time so we don't disrupt their operations."
Personal safety
Flash Hansen, promotions and marketing director at the Wave Waikiki nightclub on Kalakaua Avenue, applauded the safety checks. The club has a maximum capacity of 350 people.
"For the clubs that are doing their jobs, the inspections would improve safety, while alleviating the fears of potential customers," Hansen said.
A review of inspection reports from the past six months showed The Pipeline Cafe in Kaka'ako was cited for being over capacity and having deadbolts on several of its doors in November. Ocean Club in Restaurant Row was also cited earlier this month for exceeding capacity. Both clubs told fire officials they are correcting the problems, according to records.
The management of the Pipeline and Ocean Club nightclubs could not be reached for comment yesterday.
Leonardi noted that local businesses have been cooperative in quickly resolving fire and building code violations. "It has never gotten to the point where we had to ask the prosecutor's office to take a business to court over a building or fire code violation," Leonardi said.
The rock band Great White, which used pyrotechnic displays that ignited the Rhode Island club fire, had performed three times last month in Hawai'i at Gussie L'Amour's. The band performed Jan. 18, 19 and 20 at the popular Nimitz Highway nightclub but did not use any pyrotechnic displays at the Hawai'i shows, according to California promoter Paul Woolnough.
Fire officials have allowed the use of indoor pyrotechnics during seminars and performances at the Hawai'i Convention Center and Blaisdell Center, along with "Magic of Polynesia" shows at the Waikiki Beachcomber Hotel. Besides the requirement for a permit, those devices must be handled by qualified technicians and only with a fire inspector on the scene.
If fire officials are unfamiliar with a certain pyrotechnic, they require the applicant to give a demonstration or test run of the product before the actual performance, Leonardi said.
Rogers said the department probably would not have allowed pyrotechnics in a Hawai'i club similar in size to the one in Rhode Island.
The city building code requires two fire exits for clubs with a capacity of 51 to 500, three exits for rooms built for 501 to 1,000 people, and four exits for clubs handling more than 1,000.
Hansen said the Wave, which has a capacity for 350 people, has three exits. While the facility does not have a fire sprinkler system, Hansen said the security staff at the Wave goes through yearly training with Honolulu police on handling emergencies. Pyrotechnics have never been used inside the facility.
"We've had Polynesian fire knife dancers once, but we always had security on the side ready with extinguishers," he said.
One fatal fire here involving a nightclub or other entertainment establishment occurred in 1990. A 51-year-old man was killed and seven others injured during a fire at the Dolly Lounge at the Waimalu Shopping Center. Darren Cain was convicted of manslaughter for starting the blaze by throwing a firebomb at the front entrance of the bar.
Rogers, a fire investigator at the time of the Waimalu case, said one of the bar's two public exits was padlocked — a blatant violation of the fire code. "People in the bar finally managed to get out through a kitchen exit, but had to scale a 12-foot fence using boxes to climb to safety," Rogers said.
Advertiser staff writers Rod Ohira and Mike Gordon contributed to this report. Reach Scott Ishikawa at 535-2429 or sishikawa@honoluluadvertiser.com.=
