Hotel / Motel Fire Safety
Hotels and motels are safer then ever thanks to modern construction, fire-resistant materials, and strict fire codes, but a fire can start in any building. So when you check in, check out your new surroundings and know what to do if you hear a fire alarm.
Hotel / Motel Safety Tips
Choose a hotel that’s protected by both smoke alarms and sprinklers.
When you check in, ask the desk clerk what the fire alarm sounds like.
Read the escape plan posted in your room.
Locate the fire alarms on your floor.
Count the doors between your room and the nearest two fire exits, and open the exit doors to be sure they’re unlocked.
Keep your room keys by your bed and take them with you if there’s a fire. If you cannot escape, you may have to return to your room.
If you have a flashlight, keep it near your bed.
Don’t be shy: If fire exits are locked or blocked, report them to the management.
Responding to a Fire
If you discover a fire, sound the alarm, then leave the building.
If you hear an alarm, leave immediately.
Escape Tips
Test doorknobs and spaces around the door with the back of your hand. If it’s cool, open it slowly. Slam it shut if smoke pours through.
Close your room door and all other doors behind you as you leave to prevent the spread of smoke. Take your keys with you, in case the exits are blocked, so you can return to your room.
Use the stairs – never use elevators during a fire.
If you encounter smoke or flames, try using another escape route.
If you have to escape through smoke, crawl on your hands and knees, keeping your head one to two feet (30 to 60 centimeters) above the floor, where the air will be cleanest.
If all escape routes are blocked, return to your room.
In a high-rise building you may be asked to stay where you are and wait,
or to move to an area away from the fire and wait to be rescued.
If you’re trapped…
If you can’t escape and there’s no fire in your room, stay put. Call the fire department and let them know exactly where you’re trapped.
Shut off fans and air conditioners – they could draw smoke into your room.
Stuff wet towels or bedding in the cracks around doors.
Open a window a few inches at the top and bottom. If smoke enters, close the window quickly. Do not bread the window.
Wait at a window and signal for help with a flashlight or light-colored cloth.