Dangerous nightspots face heavier sanctions

BOGOR (JP): The city fire agency intends to impose legal sanctions against nightlife establishments which do not have safety equipment to deal with fires, an official said yesterday.

The head of the agency's public participation division, Jhoni Pangaribuan, said most establishments here lack fire safety fixtures such as fire exits.

A 1992 city rule details requirements of a building's safety fixtures. The rule mentions the required number of exits compared to the maximum number of people in a building. Exits for discotheques, for instance, should be wider than those in office buildings.

"We have started enforcement with the city public order office, and will continue checking on fire safety facilities in all entertainment sites," Jhoni said.

As of last year there were about 3,000 establishments.

He said he expected "full support" from the municipality, "such as by closing establishments instead of warning them, because it's about time real action was taken against (offenders)," Jhoni said.

He was one of several speakers at a discussion on city problems held for journalists.

Inspections would cover items such as fire exits, fire exit signs and the condition of emergency stairs and corridors, their ventilation and lighting, Jhoni added.

Last year the agency issued a list of recommendations to several nightspots, mostly discotheques, following visits to the sites. The list consisted of the need to add essentials such as exits and sprinklers.

The fire agency repeatedly reminds the public of the fire at a Manila discotheque in March last year, in which 154 people died. The discotheque was licensed to hold a maximum of 60 people, but it was packed with 300 people at the time of the accident.

Failure

Jhoni said the agency had taken one establishment on Jl. Daan Mogot, West Jakarta, to court because of its failure to provide fire exits.

He admitted the sanctions of the 1992 law were lenient, comprising a maximum sentence of three months imprisonment or a Rp 50,000 (US$20.80) fine.

"But for nightspots a temporary shut down could lead to the loss of several regular customers," Jhoni said, adding that prosecutors could demand higher sentences if owners were charged with endangering people's lives.

Jhoni blamed the lack of safety fixtures on unlicensed changes in buildings. Some office buildings have been turned into entertainment spots without permission, he said.

"Such practices happen because of the difficulties in getting permits for entertainment spots, especially regarding fire safety requirements," Jhoni said. As a result several establishments are fire hazards.

The city's development supervision agency, which issues building permits, has admitted having difficulty in monitoring building renovations, he said.

Permits are issued only after the fire agency has reviewed fire safety aspects in building designs.

According to regulations, Jhoni said, it was the fire agency's job to monitor safety measures in each building at least once a year. However the agency lacks people, as it has only 2,601 firefighters. The agency has yet to have a special monitoring team, he added.

Another constraint in checking buildings, he said, is the lack of understanding of building owners. "Some reject inspections because they say it would disturb activities," he said. (ste)