I lived in Rhode Island when The Station fire happened, and I was working in a restaurant.
I guess one upside is that the fire Marshalls actually took their jobs seriously and the business owners actually listened to them. My boss had to get rid of a conveyor from the basement to the “back” exit, install new fire suppression systems, a larger hood over the grill, a new hood over the stove, and removed a pile of storage from in front of a door that I didn’t even know was there…it was the fire exit from the kitchen where I was working.
A few years later when I was looking for an apartment in RI, I noticed how many had retrofitted sprinkler systems that definitely went in after the station.
Any venue or building rated for say, to pick a random number, more than 20 people can get randomly inspected by a fire safety inspector.
And I want fire safety inspectors to be feared as much as Judge fucking Dredd. So when they turn up announced, the building management shits a mega-block in fear when they realise that skimping on installing a proper security setup and resorting to chaining/locking fire escapes has just cost them personally a month in jail with a criminal record, issued on the spot!
There’s simply no valid excuses for being this reckless with safety.
In the US, fire marshals have a lot of authority. Like if you have a a fire exit blocked, even by something that can easily be moved, they can shut down the whole place right then and there. Or if there’s insufficient fire control systems, or a venue is over capacity.
But also, a lot of them are happy to take bribes to look the other way on what is, most of the time, small stuff like that.
Yes, as a result of a surprise fire inspection, not after dozens of people are dead.
I lived in Rhode Island when The Station fire happened, and I was working in a restaurant.
I guess one upside is that the fire Marshalls actually took their jobs seriously and the business owners actually listened to them. My boss had to get rid of a conveyor from the basement to the “back” exit, install new fire suppression systems, a larger hood over the grill, a new hood over the stove, and removed a pile of storage from in front of a door that I didn’t even know was there…it was the fire exit from the kitchen where I was working.
A few years later when I was looking for an apartment in RI, I noticed how many had retrofitted sprinkler systems that definitely went in after the station.
Of course, memories are short.
You’re god damn right!
Any venue or building rated for say, to pick a random number, more than 20 people can get randomly inspected by a fire safety inspector.
And I want fire safety inspectors to be feared as much as Judge fucking Dredd. So when they turn up announced, the building management shits a mega-block in fear when they realise that skimping on installing a proper security setup and resorting to chaining/locking fire escapes has just cost them personally a month in jail with a criminal record, issued on the spot!
There’s simply no valid excuses for being this reckless with safety.
In the US, fire marshals have a lot of authority. Like if you have a a fire exit blocked, even by something that can easily be moved, they can shut down the whole place right then and there. Or if there’s insufficient fire control systems, or a venue is over capacity.
But also, a lot of them are happy to take bribes to look the other way on what is, most of the time, small stuff like that.