In the wake of last night's fatal fire at a Rhode Island nightclub and a stampede earlier this week at a Chicago venue, safety measures at clubs nationwide will likely be reevaluated. What measures should be taken in Boston to ensure the safety of its nightspots? What lessons can be learned -- by venue owners and concertgoers alike -- in terms of safety at clubs? .

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Maybe clubs should have safety presentations similar to airliners. "....and to your left is another emergancy exit, in the event of a fire please find and follow the glowing yellow stripes on the floor to safety... If there is anybody seated next to the doors who are not comfortable with the responsibility of helping people get out, please move to another location."

jay, durham, nh

all doors should open automatically when alarm goes off, also flood lights in doorways.

jim

for now on, my teenage son will only get permission to go to concerts in buildings that have SPRINKLER SYSTEMS. once i made a birthday cake that had LARGE SPARKLERS on it. well, i nearly set the kitchen ceiling on fire. who would have thought a few sparklers could cause that much trouble. fireworks are DANGEROUS!

kj, winthrop

So sad - human life is God's greatest gift and we treat it so poorly, so neglectfully, until something like this happens. Common sense is so frequently thrown out the window for the sake of a greater thrill, and then all react - after the fact. I'll let others place whatever blame may be appropriate while I say a prayer for lives needlessly lost.

PF, Maine

Just as they do in airplanes, have the concert promoter announce exit procedures just before the concert starts.

Dave Hines, Billerica

Both of these tragedies say so much about how we view issues of public safety in our society. It takes something horrendous to temporarily shock us into action, to realize that we have laws and safety inspectors for a reason - these situations can be deadly. But we never pull people over for running through the red light at a busy intersection until AFTER a child has been run over there. And then only for a couple weeks.

Getting Old, Boston

My question is why the cameraman kept filming instead of ushering people out and pulling people out of the doorway. Is the need for TV ratings worth it?

Vivek, Arlington

I read somewhere on this board, tragedies happen and back down. BS! Accidents are when bad things happen due to uncontrollable circumstances. Someone here is clearly to blame. There was a complete lack of common sense to have pyro in a low-ceiling'ed, small venue. I find it hard to believe the band got that pyro set up at the last minute without someone from the club seeing it. A lot needs to be learned from this, and responsibility needs to be taken by all involved parties. God bless the victims and their families.

Lucy, Arlington

I have a friend from school that's missing. We were sitting together in class. Today is a tragedy day.

Martin, Webster

I think one thing most people are overlooking is the speed at which this tragedy occurred. The club was a virtual inferno filled with thick smoke within mere seconds of the first flame. People had so little time to react to the situation. All the new safety techniques and fire codes in the world can be implemented, but there are never any guarantees that they will work to save lives until the next time (god forbid) something like this actually happens. Having narrowly escaped a fire years ago with my life, I know the terrifying feeling of gasping for air and there being none because the smoke and flames consumed all the oxygen. Please stop all the finger pointing today and focus on the victims and their families. They are the ones who have suffered and have to live with the lasting effects of this unthinkable tragedy. My heart is with you all.

Monica, Boston