Emergency Light Fixtures and The Beverly Hills Supper Club Tragedy
UDEC: LIGHTING THE WAY TO SAFETY
Historical Moment: The 1977 Beverly Hills Supper Club Tragedy
The Beverly Hills Supper Club in Northern Kentucky is one of the United States deadliest nightclub fires where 167 persons died and over 130 were injured on May 28, 1977.
On a warm Memorial Day weekend in Southgate, Kentucky, a fire broke out at the crowded Beverly Hills Supper Club, once called the “Showplace of the Nation”. More than 3000 patrons, along with the 182 employees, were there that weekend.
The fire broke out about 9 p.m. in an unoccupied reception room. Two waitresses looking for tray jacks found the room filled with dense smoke hanging near the ceiling and notified management immediately.
Management instantly called for emergency help and the first fire engine arrived within three minute, already being in the area. However, the fire spread so rapidly that a full evacuation of the sprawling, crowded building was not possible.
The fire roared down a corridor and exploded into the Cabaret Room, where the evening’s scheduled headliner act was just beginning. Although the act was interrupted by the warnings of a teenage bellboy, who witnessed the fire’s onset, some patrons still hesitated thinking that it was part of the act. Later, bodies of six patrons were found still sitting upright in their seats.
What caused the fire remains inconclusive, but the factor most often cited is aluminum wiring. The majority of the deaths are blamed on poorly marked exits, flammable carpeting, and seat cushions that emitted toxic fumes when burned.
It soon became evident that the nightclub’s owners had no comprehension of the need to have code-compliant wiring or non-flammable materials used in the construction and decoration. A lack of a sprinkler system and audible automatic fire alarms added to the dangerous conditions.
Although these basic safety standards were required by law, they had not been installed nor were enforced by the local fire department. The club’s owners claimed to be unaware that it did not meet fire code requirements.
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Emergency light fixtures and exit signs are about saving lives. UDEC Corp. offers powerful, safe, unique solutions and 40 years of experience of emergency lighting and exit signs.
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