night club fires in the DR? Naw!

zoomzx11

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Jan 21, 2006
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Since the recent Brazil tragedy night club fires have gotten some well deserved attention. In case you are worried you can relax and enjoy the scene. In todays Dominican Today they put all our concerns to rest.


According to the Fire Department Inspector:
"Then we return and verify that everything we told them is in order and we certify them. We give the owner a certificate and then we place a sticker on the entrance stamped by us (the Fire Corps) that says that this space complies with all the safety measures."

" He said that the measures that discotheques need to apply in order to receive certifications includes safety signs, emergency exits of a specified dimension, evacuation routes, fire extinguishers installed at a height of four feet, and that the exit should not be obstructed by vehicles. "

I was especially worried about vehicles blocking my escape route. Is one door, in and out, still ok?
 

Chirimoya

Well-known member
Dec 9, 2002
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There was a tragedy in Santo Domingo several years ago when one of the nightclubs on Avenida Espa?a caught fire, killing several employees in the sleeping quarters. IIRC the exit was locked from the outside.
 

zoomzx11

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Jan 21, 2006
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Exactly! This situation repeats itself. The Brazil fire was a "carbon" copy of the Rhode Island fire a few years ago that killed 100 partygoers right down to the cause itself, pyrotechnics. With strictly enforced fire codes it does not happen. These large overcrowded rooms fill with smoke very quickly and people cannot find exits in the blackness even IF the exit signs are lit.
When I go into a movie, hotel or nightclub (rarely) I first look and check out the exits. In a hotel I never stay in a room above the second floor so I am able to jump if need be. In the DR the fire code is about as enforced as the electrical code.
Any crowded room can become a death trap in moments when it fills with smoke. Sad to see unecessary death in any circumstance but its really really sad if its me. I dont mind dying but dont want it to be because I did something dumb.
 
May 29, 2006
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In Brazil, they used "outside" pyrotechnics to save some money. But using any fireworks inside a tight spot like that that hasn't been made 100% fireproof and without sprinklers is absolutely bonkers.

In the DR, I worry about the electric systems and overloading circuits. For example, running 30 amps on a line made for 15. I had a meter catch fire on me in the DR. Luckily it didn't set fire to the thatched rood above it.