Division of Life Safety

Imagine yourself out with your friends and family, you may be at dinner, a theater, a nightclub or even at church. The building is familiar to you because you have been there a number of times before. You sit down and begin talking about the evening. It sure seems like it has been another long week, but the weekend is finally here and its time to relax. Everything seems perfect. Someone must have turned the lights down because they want to add a little mood to the evening, but that’s normal. You smell a very slight hint of smoke in the air and think to yourself “the chef must have overcooked someone’s entrée, but they will clear the smell quickly.” We have all been here before…

Less than three minutes later someone says there is fire and you notice smoke pouring into the room. You head towards the door marked “EXIT”, but it won’t open. Two hundred more people follow you and stack up behind you like cattle in a holding pen. You can hear people yelling to open the door, but you can’t. People are coughing and gasping for air because of the thick, black smoke and you realize it is very difficult to breath. Why are there no fire sprinklers? You hear a family member begging for help, but you can’t see them. Where is the fire department? Is this where I am really going to die? Then total silence. No screaming for help, just a defining silence.

The answer was yes, except 492 people died at the Cocoanut Grove Nightclub fire in 1942. That was a long time ago, some say; how about the Beverly Hills Supper Club where 165 people died in 1977 or the Happy Land Social Club where 87 died in 1990. Then most recently in Rhode Island, The Station Nightclub fire where 99 (plus 1) people lost their life (25 of which were lying at the front door) in a building slightly larger than your average fast food restaurant.

The City of Cape Coral’s Division of Life Safety has a simple goal. “Minimize the danger to life from fire, smoke, panic or similar emergencies.” We serve our citizens with an aggressive application of the Florida Fire Prevention Code, doing all we can so history will not repeat itself.

Know where your exits are, there will be more than one.
If it seems overcrowded, it probably is. Tell the management.
We are on duty 24 hours a day. If you see a dangerous condition, call 911.
And most importantly, change your smoke detector battery, you and your families life is worth $2.00. If you cannot afford one, please call the Division of Life Safety at 242-3264, and we will take care of you. That’s why we are here.