Jeroen Bonte, Fire Department Zone 1: “We are going to look at a number of basic things. For example, keeping the emergency exits clear is particularly important to us, the presence of fire extinguishers, the presence of safety lighting. There is a lot of decoration in those things, so we also pay attention to that. Is that decoration fire-retardant, yes or no? Is it possibly present near a heat source? That is also important for us. But the things that are not permitted should actually be removed.
Emergency exit leads to another business
Most cafes, restaurants and nightclubs are in good condition, although there are exceptions. Dirk De fauw, mayor of Bruges: “To be honest, I am a bit shocked. Some things are broadly in order, just minor adjustments, a little document here or there. But for others it is fundamental that we have established that, for example, an emergency exit ends up in another thing. This is not an emergency exit. In fact, if you follow the emergency lighting, you actually end up in a trap, because you end up in front of a closed door.”
Some things need to be adjusted today
Operators will not receive any fines today, although some must take immediate action. “We also clearly announce that there will be a second inspection in June, especially for those cases that are not in order on very fundamental matters. We have now even made agreements on some cases at very short notice. That measures must be taken today or they will not be able to open tonight.”
