Emergency Planning

A fire emergency can occur at any time, and restaurants, bars, and nightclubs face greater risks from fire emergencies than many other industries. Commercial kitchen fires and other fire tragedies can cost millions of dollars in damages, fines, and litigation; but these fires are preventable. A fast-moving fire roared through the overcrowded, windowless Kiss nightclub in a southern Brazilian city early Sunday morning, January 27, 2013, leaving 235 dead and more than 140 injured. It was the deadliest nightclub fire in a decade. Police investigating the blaze said the fire likely started when a country music band lit a flare, which ignited flammable soundproofing foam on the ceiling. That initial error was compounded by the near-total lack of emergency infrastructure such as a fire alarms or sprinkler systems, police have said. The club also had only one working door and a faulty fire extinguisher.

Eliminating Fire Code Violations

In an effort to protect our citizens and visitors, and your staff and patrons, the Charleston Fire Department Fire Marshal encourages all restaurant, bar, and nightclub owners and managers to take immediate proactive measures to eliminate any fire code violations, identify and train staff to serve as Crowd Managers, prepare and practice emergency action plans for your business, and conduct portable fire extinguisher training for your staff. To assist, please use the tools provided in this website:

  • Fire and Emergency Action Planning tab
  • Crowd Manager Training tab
  • Portable Fire Extinguisher Training tab

Additional resources

Related Links