Coan: Restaurants, Clubs Safer Because Of Station Nightclub Fire
BOSTON (CBS) - Wednesday will mark the 10th anniversary of The Station nightclub fire in West Warwick, Rhode Island.
One hundred people were killed and more than 200 injured in the fire, many of them from Massachusetts.
WBZ NewsRadio 1030's Karen Twomey reports
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Since then, there have been numerous changes to Massachusetts fire codes and State Fire Marshal Stephen Coan says we're better off now than we were 10 years ago.
Coan says one major change has been requiring updated sprinkler systems. More than 800 buildings have also been retrofitted with new sprinklers, he told WBZ NewsRadio 1030's Karen Twomey.
In addition, clubs are now required to have trained "crowd managers" during business hours.
"So there's eyes and ears throughout the industry when patrons are using these clubs," Coan said.
"Those individuals have a requirement to check to ensure exits are not blocked, sprinkler systems and fire alarms have not been dismantled or tampered with."
