Articles Posted in Negligent Security

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The tragic August death of GSU freshman, Michael Gatto, has rallied many in support of Michael’s Law, a bill which would keep underage patrons and bouncers out of bars. House Bill 152 passed the Georgia House of Representatives on Friday, March 13th and now awaits review in the Georgia Senate.

Connect Statesboro Reports:

Since the death of GSU freshman Michael Gatto at Rude Rudy’s last August, Statesboro has been a hotbed of contention over underage alcohol sales and bar attendance. Police charged Grant James Spencer, then 20 — a bouncer who was at the club but reportedly off-duty at the time — with aggravated battery and felony murder. Gatto had arrived as a freshman at Georgia Southern University about two weeks earlier. Spencer, who was also a GSU student, remains in jail awaiting trial. Rude Rudy’s closed after Gatto’s death, and the club’s owner surrendered his alcohol license to the city.

In response to their son’s death, Gatto’s parents have been working to pass a bill that would keep underage people out of bars and away from alcohol. Last Friday, March 13, the Georgia House of Representatives passed House Bill 152, which proposes several changes to alcohol regulation laws statewide.

WHAT IT DOES

Here are the bare bones: The Georgia House of Representatives approved legislation to define what bars are, make 21 the minimum age to enter one or work as a bouncer, and place new demands on cities, counties and businesses to report alcoholic beverage violations.

BREAKING IT DOWN

What’s a bar?

According to the new legislation, a bar is a place that derives 75 percent or more of its revenue from alcoholic beverages. The Department of Revenue will be able to look at the monthly sales tax reports of each venue to determine where its revenue is coming from.

Under this definition, Statesboro technically doesn’t have any “bars” — only restaurants that serve alcohol but derive more than 50 percent of their revenue from food sales, or “sports restaurants” required only to have a food permit. However, if any Statesboro venues were to be audited and found to derive 75 percent of their revenue from alcohol sales, they would have to change their status to “bar” and enforce the under-21 restrictions.

The 21 rule

Under HB 152, a person have to be at least 21 years old to enter a bar. That applies to employees as well as customers, although the bill doesn’t explicitly include bartenders or servers.

Bouncers—defined as “individual(s) primarily performing duties related to verifying age for admittance, security, maintaining order, or safety, or a combination thereof” — must also be 21 years old.

Required reporting

Alcohol license holders must self-report any violations of local, state or federal alcohol laws to the Georgia Department of Revenue within 45 days of the violation.Cities and counties must also report any violations within their jurisdiction to the Department of Revenue. The revenue commissioner can issue fines of up to $750 for license holders who fail to report violations

SO IS THIS A DONE DEAL?

Not exactly. The bill has been passed in the Georgia House of Representatives and still has to go through the Georgia Senate. The Senate could alter the bill or hold off on passing it, meaning it wouldn’t come up again as a potential law until next year. Also, to become an official law, it’s going to need the governor’s signature.

Read the full article at Connect Statesboro and follow House Bill 152 at the Georgia General Assembly.

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FireLineThe Augusta Fire Department provided a fire safety training course to representatives from 20 local apartment complexes Thursday, August 7, 2014.

Fire Lt. Carlton Bradley implored apartment complex managers and owners to take the lessons imparted over the two hour course and apply them to their communities.

“The biggest thing I want you all to take away from this is to be safe and make your tenants safe,” urged Lt. Bradley.

Thousands of people are hurt and affected by devastating apartment fires each year and many of these fires are preventable. Fire safety is an ongoing commitment for apartment owners and managers. They must ensure residents have access to smoke detectors, fire extinguishers, emergency exits, water sprinklers, and alarms. But, these tools are useless without frequent inspections and fire safety drills.

The Murray Law Firm protects victims and families harmed by apartment, nursing home and hotel fires. We hope other Georgia apartment owners and managers will follow suit and coordinate with their local fire departments to implement the best fire safety equipment, frequent safety inspections, and proper staff and resident education on fire emergency procedures.  Through this preparation, many lives may be spared.

Anyone seeking further information or legal representation is encouraged to contact us at 888.842.1616. Consultations are free and confidential.

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As families return to swimming pools and water parks for summer fun, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warns that water safety must be a priority.

A CDC study recently warned:

Drowning is a leading cause of injury death for young children ages 1 to 4, and the fifth leading cause of unintentional injury death for people of all ages. For toddlers (children ads 1 to 4 years), swimming pools pose the greatest risk of submersion injury.

For every child less than 15 years old who dies from drowning in a pool, another 10 receive emergency department care for nonfatal submersion injuries. Nonfatal drowning can cause brain damage that may result in log-term disabilities including memory problems, learning disabilities, and permanent loss of basic functions. The good news is that drowning can be prevented….

Reduce The Risk

A swimming pool can be a great source of family fun and fitness. But, it’s important to make safety a priority to protect children and others in and around the water. Some of the most effective ways to prevent drowning include four-sided fencing, swimming lessons, life jackets, and supervision/lifeguarding. Knowing CPR can also save the life of someone who drowns. For best protection, combine several safety measures to most effectively reduce drowning risks.

While home owners are able to implement many of these safety measures to protect their families and guests, the safety regulation of hotel, apartment and water park swimming pool falls outside of parent’s control. These property owners are responsible for the safety of all guests on property and, as such, it is crucial that their swimming pools are frequently inspected for safety hazards and that their staff is certified and trained in CPR and emergency first aid.

Water Safety Precautions for Apartment and Hotel Owners

  • Apartments, hotels and water parks must implement proper fencing (including self-closing and self-latching gates) and access control to their swimming pools.
  • Swimming pools should be clearly marked with signage, indicating all swimming and diving restrictions and water depth in every area of the pool.
  • While swimming pool fountains, slides and game nets are entertaining, they can also create serious hazards. All structures, including ladders and stairs, should be carefully and frequently inspected to ensure swimmers won’t become trapped or injured.
  • Overcrowding can cause swimmers, especially children, to become trapped under water. It also prohibits parents and lifeguards from properly monitoring these small swimmers. As such, property owners must post and enforce maximum occupants in and around the pool, particularly on busy weekends and holidays.
  • Finally, should an incident arise, the addition of a lifeguard and CPR-certified staff could save a life. A lifeguard should be stationed during all pool hours.

For more information on swimming pool and water safety, please visit the CDC.

We wish you a safe and fun summer!