Safety advice for your student on how to deal with emergency in a crowded venue

Parents Forum
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<p>It’s really sad to watch the news reports from Brazil about yet another tragic fire in a crowded nightclub. Over 200 killed, many of whom were students from the Federal University of Santa Maria.<br>
[Many</a> Victims of Deadly Nightclub Fire in Brazil Were Students - The Ticker - The Chronicle of Higher Education](<a href=“http://chronicle.com/blogs/ticker/many-victims-of-deadly-nightclub-fire-in-brazil-were-students/54677]Many”>http://chronicle.com/blogs/ticker/many-victims-of-deadly-nightclub-fire-in-brazil-were-students/54677)</p>

<p>It is even more frustrating to consider how many times this type of nightmare has already occurred:</p>

<p>2003 Rhode Island nightclub fire & crowd stampede: 100 dead
2004 Argentina nightclub fire & crowd stampede: 194 dead
2009 Thailand nightclub fire & crowd stampede: 64 dead
2009 Russia nightclub fire & crowd stampede: 156 dead</p>

<p>As it is typically young people who frequent nightclubs & concerts, it would be good to coach them to be aware of the hazards inherent in crowded venues</p>

<p>Advice from the National Fire Protection Association for concertgoers:</p>

<p>• As you proceed to your seat, observe how long the process takes. Could you reverse it in a hurry? Do you pass through pinch points? Is furniture in the way?</p>

<p>• Once seated, take note of the nearest exit. (In an emergency, most people try to exit by the door they entered, which is usually not the closest, and is always overcrowded.) Then, share the location of that nearest exit with your entire party. Agree that at the first sign of trouble, you will all proceed to it without delay.</p>

<p>• Once the show begins, remain vigilant. If you think there’s a problem, LEAVE IMMEDIATELY. Do not stay to “get your money’s worth” despite concerns about safety. Do not remain to locate that jacket or bag you placed somewhere. No concert is worth your life. Better to read about an incident the next day than be counted as one of its statistics.</p>

<p>To read more about how to protect yourself in a crowd:
[Be</a> ready for emergency at a crowded public gathering - CNN.com](<a href=“http://edition.cnn.com/2013/01/27/world/public-fire-safety/index.html]Be”>http://edition.cnn.com/2013/01/27/world/public-fire-safety/index.html)</p>

2

<p>Was just talking about this with my kids. I have military experience but I’m no expert.</p>

<ol>
<li><p>When you walk into crowded spot, scope out all the exits. If something happens, you’ll have several hundred people running for the same doors.</p></li>
<li><p>You get what you pay for. If place has visible issues, it has issues that aren’t visible - poorly trained security, bad judgement, locked exits, etc.</p></li>
<li><p>Don’t panic, stay on your feet, work with people(you shouldn’t be alone in a venue like this).</p></li>
</ol>