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Hotel
Safety
Topics:
Planning
for Hotel Fire Safety
Begin
at Home
Check
the Exits
Getting
Out
Staying
put
Hints
for Meeting Planners
The
Best Precautions
 Planning
for Hotel Fire Safety
Knowing
what to do in a fire emergency is the key to surviving a
hotel fire. With roughly 1,000 fires in hotels and motels
annually, the frequent traveler needs to pay attention to
fire safety as well as location and amenities when planning
a trip.
Begin
at Home
Begin
preparing for a hotel fire before you leave home. Pack a
flashlight and portable smoke detector as well as your
travel alarm. The flashlight can guide you through a dark
and smoky hall. A battery-operated smoke detector, placed on
a hanger at the top of the door to your room, will alert you
to possible fires at night when you're sleeping. Remember
not to place it near an air conditioner or in front of an
air supply duct, because the fresh airflow may prevent
smoke-filled air from setting off the alarm.
Check
the Exits
As
soon as you check in, take the time to identify exits,
stairwells and escape routes. Count the number of doorways
between your room and the nearest exit. Notice which side of
the hall the exit is on and whether an ice machine or other
 objects blocks the way. See if the exit is usable. Notice
how the lock opens. (If the lock trips the fire alarm,
that's as far as you can go without talking to hotel staff.)
If you can open the door without tripping the alarm, do so
and investigate the stairwell to be sure it is clear. See if
the door locks from the stairway side. If it does, once you
enter the stairwell you will be able to exit only at the
ground floor.
Do not plan to
use the elevator.
The elevator shaft sucks smoke and heat upwards. Also, smoke
and heat may affect the elevator controls or melt hoist
cables. Next, prepare your room. The window offers an
alternate escape route. Try the latches. See if the ground
or roof or deck is within safe dropping distance, about two
stories. Finally, put your room key on the nightstand or in
a clothing pocket so you can find it easily.
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Getting
Out
In
the event of a fire, you probably will be awakened by an
alarm, a phone call, the smell of smoke or shouting in the
hall. Take your key, roll out of bed and crawl to the door.
Don't stand, because smoke and toxic gases rise: The air
just five feet from the floor could be filled with deadly
carbon monoxide. Next, feel the door near the top. If the
door or knob is hot, don't open it. If it is cold, open it
slowly and be prepared to shut it quickly if smoke pours in.
Check the hall. If it is clear, stand up, close the door
behind you and walk to the fire exit. If there is any trace
of smoke, crawl along the wall counting doorways to the
exit. When you reach the stairwell, hold firmly onto the
guardrail and walk down. If fire and smoke are thick at
lower levels, which happens as smoke cools and stacks
heaviest layers at floor level or in stairways, turn around
and go back to your room. Do not attempt to go up to the
roof, as the stairs may not exit at the roof or the exit may
be locked.
Staying
put
If
your room door is hot or smoke is dense in the hall, you
must remain in your room. You can still survive. You may be
able to drop to the ground safely if you are on the first or
second story. If you are higher, don't jump because you
could be in seriously hurt or killed. If you can't leave
through the window, signal for help. First try to telephone.
Then, hang a sheet out of the window to signal firefighters.
Get fresh air. Flip on the bathroom fan to vent smoke in
your room. Then open the top and bottom sections of the
window about three inches to let fresh air in at the bottom
and ventilate smoke at the top. If smoke and flames are
rising outside, keep windows shut. If outside air is clear,
make a tent over your head with a wet blanket and open the
bottom half enough to put your head out the window. If the
window won't open, you may not want to break it because you
won't be able to close it to keep smoke out. Fill the
bathtub. You can use the water for fire fighting. Wet towels
and sheets, stuff them around cracks in the doorway and
anyplace else smoke can seep into the room. If the door and
walls get hot, bail water on them with the ice buckets.
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Hints
for Meeting Planners
If
you are a convention or meeting planner, you should pay
particular attention to fire safety. Before scheduling an
event, investigate the hotel's arrangements for fire
detection, its alarm systems, the provisions for
extinguishing fires, the exit routes and employee training
for fire emergencies. The hotel should have an alarm system
and ideally should have an automatic sprinkler system,
particularly for large exhibition areas and other wide
areas. If you are planning a large trade show, be sure the
hotel provides services to remove packing materials quickly
from the exhibit area. A general rule to keep in mind is
that street-level meeting rooms are the easiest to evacuate.
Rooms above the seventh floor are more hazardous because
fire ladders may not reach that high. Hotel basement meeting
rooms may not be a wise choice, because meeting participants
must climb up stairs in the same direction smoke and flames
will travel. The meeting room should have adequate exits.
A
rule of thumb is that 50 to 300 persons require two exits.
Three
hundred to 1,000 need three exits and more than 1,000
persons should have four or more exits.
The
exits should be brightly lit, not blocked, by furniture or
curtains and be easily opened. They should never be locked
or chained. Seating or exhibit arrangements should allow
enough aisle space for quick evacuation. You should
familiarize yourself with exits and escape routes. Not only
make sure that the hotel floor plan is visibly posted, but
also walk the entire escape route. Hallways, exits and
stairwells should be clear of obstructions. Stairs should
have emergency lighting; elevators should be clearly marked
to prevent use in a fire. After you check the escape route,
ask the hotel staff to remove any furniture that is in the
way and to point out the location of automatic sprinklers
and smoke detectors. Locate fire extinguishers in case of
small "wastepaper basket" fires, but be sure to
call the fire department directly before attempting to
control even a small fire. Arrange to listen to the fire
alarm and find out who on the hotel staff is responsible for
calling the fire department - although in case of fire,
contact the fire department first and then alert the hotel
switchboard on the house telephone. Before you meeting,
instruct attendees about alarms, escape routes and general
fire safety procedures.
The
Best Precautions
 No
matter what safety measures the hotel and its staff
provides, the best protection in a fire emergency is an
alert individual who knows what to do in a hotel fire.
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