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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This is your club... This is your club on fire due to using things that explode indoors... any questions?

Ric, North Shore

In my opinion there is equal blame in the band and the owners. There has been stories about how the band had set these things off without permission from other clubs in the past, but that doesnt mean they are the ones to fully blame. Since the club owners are the ones responsible for what goes on in the club they should have had some sort of stage manager who was supposed to inspect the stage and should have recognized these firework machines as something that is not part of a normal sound system, and should have asked questions.

S

What a tragic waste of lives. Rather than dwell on the blame right now, we must look to prevention. The lesson here isn't about pyrotechnics, sprinklers, codes, attendance....People would be alive today in that particular club if they knew how to get out. Ridiculous as it sounds, perhaps we need to go the route of the airlines and as bored as we may be with the announcement, point out the fire exits before the show, the concert, the movie, the game...

beeg, worcester

I have been overwhelmed with sadness all day long over this. I have talked to both of my daughters today (23 and 21) begging them, whenever they go into a club, bar, etc. in the future, the very first thing they are to do is to look for all the fire escapes, just in case. My prayers for all the family, loved ones and friends of those who were lost or hurt.

Mark, Provincetown

Nothing more enrgetic than candles inside of venues. Future development should include a certain number of double-wide exits.

Jennifer, Somerville

Juts two quick thoughts on the RI fire. It seems to me that whoever is at fault should be prosecuted for criminal negligence. As the "blame game"starts, there seem to be a few issues that must be addressed: a) Great White, if including pyrotechnics in their act, SHOULD have had a technician supervising the pryo, with adequate safety and precautionary measures, such as A FIRE EXTINGUISHER in hand. This seems to be common sense. Who in their right mind ignites pyro in a small club without even thinking about something as important as fire saftey? Even if not worried about something as tragic as a total fire outbreak, these band members should have at least taken into consideration their own saftey on stage; b) Club/venue owners or managers should have the same concerns in mind. If the club had allowed pyrotechnics on stage (which I seriously doubt, from reading accounts of other venues where Great White played and ignited pyro without permission), then where were the commonly used fire precaution devices? Don't these professionals care about the safety of their staff, venue and more importantly their patrons? It just seems to me that regardless of who's fault this was, both bands that use pyro and venues that allow it or not, should ALL be equiped with fire prevention devices. Something as ordinary as a fire exinguisher should be kept handy at all times, whenever large crowds gather in small, enclosed spaces. Perhaps common sense isn't that common anymore.

Alex, Boston, MA

Indoor pyrotechnics are another issue to me. There may be some that are safe to use indoors if they are properly employed. However, the issue remains of how to get everyone out of a structure that is compromised in one way or another (not just fire... remember Chicago and Bali). 1. There should be ample sized exit doors on each side of the structure (where feasible). If the doors cannot be placed on each side, than that door shall be placed on the next highest traffic exit (i.e. On North exit (main) there will be two exit doorways since the South wall abuts another building.) 2. Due to the chaos and confusion that will ensue with any type of emergency (smoke, darkness, etc...), all exit doors should be painted in safety orange that will glow in the dark. They should be visible in very low light conditions. 3. Doormen should be placed near each exit rather than breaking the law and locking doors. This is an absolute. No exceptions. 4. Possible adding a floor lighting system showing where exits are located. The Exit signs and the lighting system should be hard wired in the ground (not structure) or protected from fire if not able to go underground. This will be wired to an emergency generator. Hope this makes sense and helps someone. Josh

Josh, Jamaica Plain

My deepest sympathies to those grieving families and friends of the victims of this terrible tradgedy. I agree with those who've said that sprinklers ought to be made mandatory in buildings where the public gathers. Especially in those clubs where alchohol is served. It's not that much to ask, and certainly if clubs refuse to do so, then as one other pointed out then a clear and distinct warning label should be affixed to the front door of these establishments. I also question how a building that was inspected just last Dec. could become completely engulfed within 3 mins. What does this say about existing safety codes? What were the materials that burned so rapidly? Do these kinds of materials exist in every public building? Something seems very wrong to me. Is it possible to have a building engulf in flames within 3 mins? If so, then perhaps the entire building industry and Fire Safety Professionals bear some responsibility. It just seems strange that Fire Codes would allow a building to burn so quickly. If anything, I get a new respect for those who fight fires, laboring under what is an apparent woefully inadequate code, and you can bet that I'll not frequent any establishment that has no sprinkler system. And, one more thing. The next time I go to a movie theater I'm not going to take the word of the theater owner... I'm going to actually check for myself that the "exit is clear, and has been checked".

John, Sudbury

What a horrible, horrible, thing. Lets not let these kids and young adults die in vain. This tragedy, along with the Chicago tragedy, needs to be a serious wake-up call to the hospitality/nightclub industry of our generation, just like the aftermath of the Cocoanut Grove tragedy was for an earlier generation. Safety and Building codes MUST be taken seriously, or we start putting people in Jail. Fines and jail time. This will get compliance fast. From the initial footage, it looks like the fires started in at least two places. This material was obviously not fire-resistant, and for this fact alone, the Club Owners deserve Jail time. Ignorance is no excuse. The public demands accountability, and nothing less. As for Great White lead singer Jack Russell, this guy needs to be packed off directly to Jail. His attempt CYA damage control is reprehensible and disgusting. Yes you're right Jack, "I'm sorry" aint gonna cut it. Go directly to Jail, do not pass GO.

Michael, Toronto, Ontario

uh.....NO type of fireproofing on the foam whatsoever? The whole building ablaze in THREE minutes? Even had there been sprinklers, something seems very wrong here.... Things need to be subject to a realistic safety code after this, EVERYWHERE, and IMMEDIATELY, if for no other reason than this incident serves as a primer for certain groups whose aim is large scale harm......

Fred, Campbell Ca.