Dangerous nightspots face heavier sanctions

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)