March 3, 2003

Providence Mayor David N. Cicilline praised Governor Donald Carcieri's response to the tragic fire in West Warwick that claimed the lives of 97 people two weeks ago. "Governor Carcieri has shown extraordinary leadership and compassion in a very difficult time for our state," said Cicilline. "My thoughts and prayers are with the victims' families and the dozens of people recovering from injuries suffered in the fire."

In the hours after the fire, Providence immediately began the process of ensuring the city's nightclubs are complying with safety standards. The mayor convened an emergency meeting with the city's police and fire chief, Providence's fire marshal, and the head of the city's Inspections and Standards to develop a strategy.

A joint inspection team then visited ten nightclubs in Providence looking for potential safety violations. They checked emergency exits, fire extinguishers, sprinkler systems, building capacity limits and a range of other standards. The inspectors found several minor infractions at each nightclub, including poorly lit exits and uncovered candles in some establishments.

"I directed my staff to work with club owners in the city to help them achieve optimal safety standards at these establishments," said Cicilline. Providence fire and police officials are also complying with Governor Carcieri's directive to thoroughly inspect every single public gathering place in Rhode Island to prevent tragedies like the one in West Warwick.