Kiss Nightclub Fire: Case Study on the Application of the Incident Command System

This study aims to analyze the response to the fire that occurred at the Kiss Nightclub, located in Santa Maria, Rio Grande do Sul (Brazil), on January 27, 2013. The incident began when a spark from pyrotechnic material used during a performance hit the foam on the ceiling of the establishment, causing the rapid spread of the fire. At the time, the venue was overcrowded, with a capacity far above the permitted limit, and had only one emergency exit, which significantly worsened the severity of the tragedy. The fire resulted in the deaths of 242 people and left 680 injured, the majority of the victims dying from smoke inhalation. Due to the magnitude of the event, many victims were rescued by civilian volunteers, who acted without proper training and without the necessary personal protective equipment. The analysis focuses on the application of the Incident Command System (ICS) during the fire response. ICS is an internationally recognized methodology for emergency management, enabling the command, control, and coordination of response actions in an efficient and structured manner. To this end, the research adopts a qualitative approach based on a case study of the incident.