The Madison Fire Department held a seminar along with the Tavern League Monday for local club and bar owners to highlight new requirements in the city’s fire code, in response to fires in Chicago and Rhode Island nightclubs.

The fire department adopted the International Fire Code last July, incorporating new requirements mandating non-combustible material for interior finishing and decorations, permits to allow pyrotechnics and an evacuation plan for each establishment.

Ed Ruckriegel of the fire department encouraged the bar owners to contact the fire department with any concerns they had about the new fire code. He mentioned Marsh Shapiro’s Nitty Gritty as an example of an exemplary fire-safe establishment.

“There are now fire sprinklers throughout the Nitty Gritty,” Ruckriegel said. “Marsh didn’t want to do it at first, but now the Nitty Gritty has a good level of fire safety.”

One business owner commented to another woman that the seminar motivated her to make some changes in her business.

“I don’t even have emergency exit lights,” she said. “I am going to have to change that.”

Fire Chief Deb Amesqua reassured establishment owners in a letter that the fire department did not want to unfairly impose on their businesses.

“The International Fire Code should positively influence safety without adversely affecting your bottom line,” she wrote.

Bullfeathers owner Dick Lyshek said the fire department now requires that all Madison businesses create an evacuation plan in case of an emergency.

“There are not any changes in the fire code, but they want us to have a plan for evacuation on file,” Lyshek said. “We haven’t had any real drastic changes in the fire code since the ’50s.”

He said water sprinklers are now required in new establishments, but existing businesses do not need to implement them.

The evacuation plan entails quarterly fire drills with employees, in addition to emergency training for all staff. The evacuation planning, drills and training are all new requirements in Madison.

The Madison Fire Department made the new requirements in response to the recent Chicago and Rhode Island nightclub tragedies. In February, 21 people died and more than 50 were injured in a stampede in a Chicago nightclub after a security guard used pepper spray to break up a fight. Days later, a Rhode Island nightclub fire killed close to 100 people when the band Great White shot off pyrotechnics in the club, igniting the fire. Structural faults in the buildings contributed to the heavy loss of life in both incidents.

Tavern League president Barb Mercer told league members at the end of the meeting that the state Legislature will soon try to push through legislation lowering the Wisconsin legal blood-alcohol content from .10 to .08.

“Contact your congressperson,” Mercer urged the members. “The .08 issue is important to you as a business owner.”

Mercer also encouraged the members to recognize May as National Tavern Month and let their customers know about all the donations the Tavern League gives to charities.

“Let them know that we’re not out there as an evil force; be proud, and let them know about what we’re doing,” Mercer said.