Knowing where the emergency exits are in buildings can save lives . Some buildings , such as schools , have fire drills to practice using emergency exits . Many disasters could have been prevented if people had known where fire escapes were and if emergency exits had not been blocked . For example , in the September 11 , 2001 , attacks on the World Trade Center , some of the emergency exits inside the building were inaccessible , while others were locked . In the Stardust Disaster and the 2006 Moscow hospital fire , the emergency exits were locked and most windows barred shut . In the case of the Station Nightclub , the premises was over capacity the night fire broke out , the front exit was not designed well ( right outside the door , the concrete approach split 90 degrees and a railing ran along the edge ) , and an emergency exit swung inward , not outward as code requires
Station Nightclub
The Station nightclub fire
Emergency exit