Identification

• When The Station nightclub in West Warwick, Rhode Island, caught fire on February 20th, a panicked mob attempted to escape through the main entrance. Firefighters later found the bodies of 25 patrons by the front doors.
  
  

Expert Insight

• After The Station fire, the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) issued its findings and recommendations, among which was the suggestion that nightclub entrances be expanded to better accommodate crowd evacuation.
  
  

Prevention/Solution

• In Chicago, where 21 people lost their lives in the E2 nightclub that same week, city officials have cracked down on nightclub overcrowding with unannounced inspections and temporary closings.
  
  

Significance

• In 1993 an Australian study concerning crowding and nightclub aggression concluded that the more crowded a nightclub becomes, the greater the potential is for aggressive behavior.
  
  

Considerations

• In both of the above-mentioned nightclub tragedies, the size of the crowd was the real culprit in the deaths of so many people. While public officials strive to make these venues safer, they are still often overcrowded and therefore remain unsafe.