Clubs adopt new safety plans

In the wake of two recent nightclub-related tragedies, both local club owners and students are keeping an eye out for safety as they continue to dance the nights away. In the early morning hours of Feb. 17, 21 people died and 50 were injured in a stampede at E2, a Chicago nightclub, when security guards used mace and pepper spray to break up a fight between two women, The Associated Press reported. Then, just last Friday, a fire at The Station nightclub in West Warwick, R.I., caused 96 deaths and put more than 187 injuries. The fire erupted after a live band, Great White, set off fireworks during its performance. The club did not have a permit for these special effects, and the club owners insist that they never gave the band permission to use the effects in its act. The accidents made headlines across the country and have led some clubs in Philly -- which saw its own nightclub disaster nearly three years ago -- to take extra precautions. In May 2000, an open-air nightclub on a pier collapsed into the Delaware River, killing three people, injuring 37 and raising worries about safety. Chad Stellato, the owner of Chrome nightclub located on North Delaware Avenue, said the club has stepped up in response to the more recent disasters. "We're very concerned," Stellato said, noting that yesterday three people from the city's License and Inspection Division came to the club to inspect it for building, fire and plumbing safety. "We did a walk-through with them and made a two-page punch list" of points that need improvement in the club, Stellato said. Stellato's goal right now is "to change, enhance and better the building" for the safety and enjoyment of everyone. He said that Chrome has already contacted an "outside contractor," and upgrades will be completed within the next week, hopefully resulting in "better precaution, fire and safety" changes enacted to "bring the building up to code." He added that Chrome is getting "upgraded for new safety precautions for exits" so that in case of a fire, it will be possible to get people out quickly. Stellato said that the two incidents probably "bring concern to the majority of club owners" and stressed that Chrome is going to be "100 percent secure and safe." Other Philadelphia nightclub managers, such as John Oomolino, the manager of Toto's, a restaurant and lounge at 1407 Locust Street, seemed less worried, noting that these were two unfortunate incidents, but that their club lives up to all the fire and safety laws. "We have a sprinkler system, exit doors, fire doors and a fire alarm," Oomolino said. He added that, while the restaurant area's capacity is 220 people, as a nightclub it can hold a maximum of 450, a number it never exceeds. While various clubs have differed in their plans following the two recent events, some students say they aren't concerned enough to let the news interfere with their weekend plans. "I don't think it's going to stop me from going out and going to clubs," College sophomore Talia Parnass said. But she added that she will keep safety issues in mind when at clubs. "I think I'm just a bit more wary now to look for the exits and things like that," she said. "Things like that can happen." Parnass was also concerned about bands playing in clubs and said that she would now think twice before attending a function with a live band. Wharton freshman Erik Violante said that the recent fire and stampede hasn't left him too concerned. Violante noted that he's "heard of things like this before" and that the recent occurrences just reinforce his wariness whenever he goes to clubs. Engineering and Wharton sophomore Vinay Viralam echoed Violante, noting that the recent incidents won't impact his nightlife. "I'm not concerned," Viralam said. "I went to two clubs this weekend." Viralam also expressed awe at the number of people that must have been in the Chicago club, noting that the club must have been over its capacity. "I think club owners are going to learn from these two past incidents," Viralam said, adding that clubs should be up-to-date on all their fire and safety equipment as well as follow capacity laws.