Lisa Haller, Linda Haller Sloan and Tracy Robson

Lisa Haller of Louisville, Linda Haller Sloan of Arlington, Va., and Tracy Robson of Atlanta are Cincinnati natives.

Presidential candidate Donald Trump's recent criticism of fire safety rules and fire officials in Ohio and Colorado brings back memories of a tragic lesson that Cincinnatians learned nearly 40 years ago.

The Beverly Hills Supper Club in Southgate, sitting high on a rolling green hillside just south of Cincinnati, drew top national talent. Most parents we knew growing up were patrons, including our own.

On May 28, 1977, the Saturday night of Memorial Day weekend, there were over 3,000 occupants in the Beverly Hills Club. John Davidson was performing in the Cabaret Room. Estimates are that the room was filled to nearly twice the legal capacity. The disaster killed 165 people and injured 200, the third-deadliest nightclub fire in U.S. history. Safety violations, including excess crowds and an insufficient number of exits, contributed to the casualties and injuries.

At campaign events at a town hall last week in Columbus and at the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs before that, Trump criticized the enforcement of local fire safety rules regarding maximum room occupancy.

Donald Trump, who builds and owns commercial office towers, residential buildings and hotels where large numbers of people assemble, should know that disregarding the fire marshal's maximum capacity is playing with fire. Referring to the fire safety rules in Colorado Springs, he said, "This is why our country doesn't work." No, public safety rules are why our country does work.

Trump's behavior also is concerning because just before the Colorado Springs rally, the candidate and members of his entourage were stuck in an elevator – and rescued by the same fire department that he publicly denounced. The normal response after a rescue would be to publicly thank the fire department. But not Trump. Instead, he called the fire safety measures a "disgraceful situation." The irony is red-hot clear.

On Aug. 13, 2011, the sudden collapse of a stage at the Indiana State Fair killed seven people and injured dozens more. Lack of adherence to building codes was cited as a factor, as well as lack of clear authority and preparedness in whether or not to delay the outdoor concert that night because of approaching severe storms whose winds ultimately caused the stage to collapse.

Trump told the Colorado Springs crowd that there were many more people outside wanting to enter, but the fire marshal wouldn't let them. On Aug. 1, the candidate said the same thing at the Columbus venue, faulting the fire marshal for engaging in "politics."

No, it's safety. As Columbus Assistant Fire Chief Jim Cannell explained, the details for the event were planned with the parties days in advance and though it may have appeared that the room could hold more people, per fire safety rules, it could not. Some exits were unavailable because of construction, necessitating a lower occupancy limit.

In Columbus and Colorado Springs, Trump gave the impression that he himself would let more people into the rooms (and presumably then tout the larger numbers as a tribute to himself). This conduct baits crowds, causes confusion and undermines public safety officials. As in the case of the Indiana stage collapse, when there's ambiguity regarding who’s in charge and what to do, public safety suffers. By choosing tactics over safety, Trump's actions encourage violation of law, threaten order, and but for the fire marshals doing their jobs, would actually risk human life.

Despite his representations at the Republican National Convention, Trump is not America's "law and order" candidate.

As three best friends from high school in Cincinnati with the Beverly Hills fire emblazoned in our memories, we issue this warning: Columbus and Colorado Springs are more examples of the danger that Trump represents to the safety of Americans, and the rule of law and order.