ORLANDO, Fla. — Channel 9 spoke with the Orlando deputy chief in charge of fire safety Thursday to discuss the possible safety concerns inside Pulse nightclub.
Deputy Chief Gerald Lane said that there were no indications of problems with any of Pulse's fire exits, and no indications of overcrowding at the time of the shooting.
Lane said national and city standards require the club to have two fire exits, and the club had five.
He also said the club has never had a life safety code violation that demanded immediate attention.
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An Orlando Fire Department engineer's report shows that three weeks before the Pulse terror attack, an exit door or hardware was inoperable, and it was scheduled to be checked in July.
Lane said the city was concerned about that.
The engineer told city lawyers the problem was an exit sign's backup battery.
“They went over it bit by bit and it was determined that he actually mismarked one of the boxes,” said Lane.
Adding to the confusion, the engineer did not fill in the remarks section, which is something Lane said is encouraged but not required.
The engineer’s report from May 21, three weeks before the terror attack, shows on one page that an exit door or hardware was inoperable, and a fire extinguisher was not hanging by a door as it should have been.
A second document, dated in early June, shows some doors were inoperable.
But Lane said the fire extinguisher was returned to its hook by the door.
“Do you believe that everybody had an adequate chance to get out of there through the exits in that club,” asked reporter Kathi Belich.
“Yes. I do,” said Lane.
Lane said there were no reports that anyone had trouble getting out because of inoperable exit doors.
“To the best of our knowledge, all the exits were open and all the means of egress were also open,” Lane said.
The Orlando Fire Department has documented concerns about Pulse's occupancy in the past. Lane said it was never a life safety issue, and that clubs are often reminded to keep closer tabs on their occupancy at any given time.
Pulse's lawyer said there were between 150 and 200 people in the club at closing time when the shooting happened.