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18 August 1999
Check-in check list
Before I get settled, I check fire safety and plan my escape
By Terry Riley
According to the National Fire Protection Association,
a hotel structure fire is reported every 55 seconds in the United States.
This is no surprise to me. I’ve been in four hotel “structure” fires.
These weren’t big fires, but they were real fires. Very real fires. There were
alarms, sirens, fire trucks, firemen, fire hoses, smoke, flames, the whole shebang.
Consequently, hotel fire safety is for me—can you see
this one coming?—a hot issue. Indeed, every time I
check into a hotel, one of the first things I do is to make a plan to escape a fire. Every
time. No exceptions. Every time.
Here’s what I do—every time.
Before I hang up my clothes or plop down to relax, I familiarize myself with the
locations of the fire exits nearest my room. These are generally shown on a map posted on
the back of the room door or in a closet. I use the map to locate the two exits nearest my
room.
Next I take my key and head out the door. I try to imagine how I would find my way to
the nearest fire exit in the dark while crawling on my hands and knees. I count the
doorways between me and the fire exit and note any obstacles that could get in my way.
When I reach the exit, I open the door. A locked door will surely be a death trap if a
fire were to occur. (By the way, if the door is alarmed, I first notify the hotel security
department of my intention to open the door. I found out the importance of this at the
Continental Plaza Hotel in Guadalajara, Mexico, where I now know that the alarm system
works quite well.) Then, without letting the door close behind me, possibly trapping me in
the stairwell, I take a look inside to get an idea of its configuration and to confirm
that the stairwell is free of obstacles that could block my escape.
On my way to or from my room, I find the nearby fire alarms and fire extinguishers or
fire hoses. If there are none visible, I’ll call the front desk when I return to my
room to ask their location. Then I’ll go verify their actual presence.
Because it’s possible that my path to the nearest fire escape may be blocked
during an emergency, I map out a secondary escape route that would take me in the opposite
direction as the route I just followed. Again, I note the locations of the fire alarms and
extinguishers/hoses.
When I return to my room, I look out the window to see if it would be possible to jump
without breaking my neck. In case I’d have to escape that way, I look for obstacles
under my window.
I verify the operation of the smoke detector in my room. Typically, a small light on
the smoke detector indicates its operation. If I’m unsure that it is working, I call
the front desk for assistance.
I figure out how to turn off the fan that delivers air into my room. I find the
location of both the entry- and return-air vents and make a mental note of how I could
seal them if I were trapped in my room during a hotel fire. Then, because I’d need to
let others know I was in my room, I make sure that I can get an outside telephone
connection—typically by pressing “8” or
“9”—without relying on a hotel operator.
Finally, with an escape plan in place, now I relax.
© 1999 Applied Psychology
Related Err Travel columns:
Hot hotels - "Thought you meant lawn sprinklers"
Don't get burned - Survive a hotel fire
Fire! Fire! Fire! - Forget about evacuation management
When the heat is on - Do you have a plan?
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