15 years ago today - The Station Nightclub Fire
- Thread starteregilson1
- Start date
First, a moment of silence for all who have died or have been injured while pursuing a good time...
To answer your question, what I will do today is what I usually do - make sure I & my crew know where exits are, locate nearby fire extinguishers and alarm pull boxes, not block egress paths with gear or cases, and make sure my crew is informed of any changes to our emergency plan due to venue, staffing or work flow. We will use best practices in all safety related activities.
The Station fire was a wake up call that in a few more years will be forgotten. About 20 years - a 'generation' - seems to be about the length of time we humans tend to recall such events and get the emotional impact necessary to require changes in regulation, code enforcement and our professional behavior.
Humans are stubborn things, we don't like change and as performance professionals we tend to get wrapped up in "we always do this/do it this way" along with "the show must go on" (which is about money, not art or safety) and eventually our standards slip lower and lower in order to accommodate the commercial needs of expedience or profit or both.
So here is my challenge to others - join the Event Safety Alliance. Attend the Safety Summit and take home the idea that best practices save money, health and lives over the long term, and by maintaining professional standards we raise up our industry, crafts and profession.
EDIT PS - thanks for the picture, @egilson1. We talk about safety in the abstract and in the 3rd person too often. Putting faces on these tragedies brings them into focus and serves to remind us that the next disaster we read out could well include members of our families, our neighbors, our colleagues and coworkers, and strangers we should be concerned about... and maybe ourselves.
To answer your question, what I will do today is what I usually do - make sure I & my crew know where exits are, locate nearby fire extinguishers and alarm pull boxes, not block egress paths with gear or cases, and make sure my crew is informed of any changes to our emergency plan due to venue, staffing or work flow. We will use best practices in all safety related activities.
The Station fire was a wake up call that in a few more years will be forgotten. About 20 years - a 'generation' - seems to be about the length of time we humans tend to recall such events and get the emotional impact necessary to require changes in regulation, code enforcement and our professional behavior.
Humans are stubborn things, we don't like change and as performance professionals we tend to get wrapped up in "we always do this/do it this way" along with "the show must go on" (which is about money, not art or safety) and eventually our standards slip lower and lower in order to accommodate the commercial needs of expedience or profit or both.
So here is my challenge to others - join the Event Safety Alliance. Attend the Safety Summit and take home the idea that best practices save money, health and lives over the long term, and by maintaining professional standards we raise up our industry, crafts and profession.
EDIT PS - thanks for the picture, @egilson1. We talk about safety in the abstract and in the 3rd person too often. Putting faces on these tragedies brings them into focus and serves to remind us that the next disaster we read out could well include members of our families, our neighbors, our colleagues and coworkers, and strangers we should be concerned about... and maybe ourselves.
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There is a book about the tragedy and what happened next.
Unfortunately, I believe that today also marks the 4th anniversary of the camerawoman who was killed filming Midnight Rider. Safety is not just about preventing large catastrophes, but protecting us all.
Fortunately I work for a company that looks to safety in so many different ways. That doesn't mean that accidents don't happen, but that hopefully they are minimized.
Unfortunately, I believe that today also marks the 4th anniversary of the camerawoman who was killed filming Midnight Rider. Safety is not just about preventing large catastrophes, but protecting us all.
Fortunately I work for a company that looks to safety in so many different ways. That doesn't mean that accidents don't happen, but that hopefully they are minimized.
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