After more than 100 people died in nightclub disasters in Chicago and Rhode Island last week, one Evanston bar manager said regulations would help prevent a similar tragedy at local clubs.
In a previously planned inspection, fire inspectors visited restaurants, the movie theater and several bars Friday during peak evening hours — something that had never been done before — said Division Chief Alan Berkowsky.
“We’ve never been out there before at 11 p.m. doing our routine inspection,” he said of the annual checks. “We usually go during the day and only visit at night if we get a complaint.”
Berkowsky said most of the places inspectors visited, including The Keg of Evanston, 1800 Club, Nevin’s Live and Tommy Nevin’s Pub, met safety regulations.
“Aside from minor maintenance violations, everything was in pretty good shape,” he said. “None of the places we visited were overcrowded.”
In Chicago, 21 people died Feb. 17 after clubgoers were trampled trying to escape from the E2 dance club. Reports said more than 500 people were crammed into the second-floor club when someone sprayed mace or pepper spray to stop a fight.
Three days later, at least 97 people were killed in West Warwick, R.I., when a fire broke out at The Station nightclub. The fire started when sparks from a band’s pyrotechnics display ignited foam ceiling tiles and quickly spread throughout the crowd of more than 300 people.
“What happened in those other clubs was horrible,” said Mike Lopez, the manager of Nevin’s Live, 1460 Sherman Ave. “It shows why we follow our safety guidelines so stringently.”
Lopez said every club in Evanston has the same basic safety standards. The exit must be well-marked and clear of debris and people. Buildings are required to have secondary exits, and every establishment must have a certain number of fire extinguishers.
Lopez said he received calls after the incident in Rhode Island asking about the club’s policy on pyrotechnics. He said they are not allowed because the venue is too small, adding that it’s rare for a band to even show interest in including fireworks in a show.
In addition, Lopez said, clubs must observe established occupancy limits. At Nevin’s Live, the maximum occupancy is 250 people.
Both the Keg and 1800 Club refused to disclose their maximum occupancies to The Daily on Monday. An 1800 Club staffer who asked not to be identified said the occupancy sign had been moved to the back of the bar and out of public view on orders from the bar’s owner.
On campus, Shanley Pavilion, 2031 Sheridan Road, remains popular for student productions. The maximum occupancy depends on the event and the size of the stage, but it usually falls between 150-250 people. Joel Richlin, a co-chairman for the Arts Alliance, said Shanley is safe.
“Shanley is very small, but we have three very large fire doors,” said Richlin, a Weinberg senior. “If you’re in Shanley you are never more than 10 feet from a door.”
