Awareness

The Station nightclub fire is considered to be the fourth most deadly nightclub fire in American history. The fire took place when the Heavy Metal band "Great White" set off pyrotechnics, which caused acoustic insulation to ignite, setting the walls and ceiling alight, and in less than six minutes the entire building was engulfed in flames.

One hundred people died.

Another two hundred-thirty were injured.

As safety professionals it is easy to talk about what went wrong from the standpoint of Life Safety Code, egress and occupancy violations, and all of these things would be correct. However something could have saved more lives that night that had nothing to do with code or occupancy. 

If you have not seen the video of this fire, I have to caution you: It is graphic. People are losing their lives. It is shocking to see how quickly the fire spreads, and how rapidly panic takes over. But if you can stand to watch it, I want you to pay attention to those who do manage to escape, including the cameraman...

A large number of the individuals fleeing the fire attempted to get out of the blaze by running towards the main entrance, in other words: victims attempted to flee the building the same way they came in! Please do not misunderstand, I am in no way, shape or form blaming the victims of this horrible tragedy with what I am about to say. But if there is a lesson that we can all learn from this terrible misfortune, regardless of our profession or experience it would be this: 

Thirty Seconds.

How many times do you go out to eat, or to the movies, or a bar or club and take the time to identify the alternate exits to the facility?

Thirty seconds is all it takes to identify the illuminated exit signs, fire extinguishers or other emergency notification equipment? 

Pay attention to your surroundings! Staying safe is more than codes and policy. It is more than guardrails and hard hats. Being aware of what and who is around you can make the difference between life and death in an emergency or disaster! Take the time to familiarize yourself with doors, windows, and any other obstacles between you and safety.

Remember, it's better to lose a minute of life than to lose your life in a minute!