Re: Concert Disaster In Rhode Island

[Dave Faneuf <tklaundry@juno.com>]

On Fri, 21 Feb 2003 13:24:24 -0500 Donna Halper <dlh@donnahalper.com>
writes:
>.  Wouldn't it seem that 
> after 
> the Cocoanut Grove (492 dead) club owners would have learnt 
> something?  Witnesses who escaped the Rhode Island tragedy said not 
> only 
> were there no sprinklers, but no fire extinguishers either.  And the 
> club 
> was very crowded.  Why does it take a tragedy to get people to focus 
> on 
> safety?

Just a note regarding this aspect of the story (no, I don't know Jeff or
his brother Mike). According to the West Warwick fire dept the club had
undergone a fire inspection in Dec and passed with only minor violations
that the fire dept said had been corrected prior to last night's fire.  
The issue seems to be focusing on who if anyone authorized the use of the
pyrotechnics.  The band said they had the okay from the club but
according to a statement released by the Dedarians (sp) no one asked for
permission and no one was granted permission.  Broadcast reports also say
the building was not required to have a sprinkler system and it did have
adequate exits but most people used the doors they came in and not all
the emergency exits available.
df