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Hotel Fire Safety
Monday
July 9, 2001
Hotel
signs lead anxious employees and confused customers
through escape routes. It looks like the real
thing at the Mandarin Oriental hotel in Hawaii,
but this is just a drill.
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Unfortunately, it wasn't a drill in 1980. The most notorious hotel fire in the U.S. happened at the glamorous MGM Grand in Las Vegas killing 85 people.
There are about 5,000 hotel and motel fires in the U.S. every year. Arson accounts for about 16 percent of the fires, cigarette smokers another 13 percent. Even worse, most fires happen in hotels with outdated fire-safety systems.
So how do you know if your room is safe? Fire safety should begin before you check in.
Peter Greenberg says, “Find out if your hotel is performing to the current fire regulations."
The MGM's deadly fire led to sweeping changes in that state's fire codes. Sprinklers and smoke detectors are now in every room at Nevada’s major hotels.
But “Extra's” travel detective Peter Greenberg says only about half of America’s hotels have them. “If you're in a hotel that doesn't have a sprinkler system or a smoke detector in the room, don't stay there."
Other tips:
- Always take a flashlight with you.
- Take the time to read the map and exit routes posted in your room
- Never stay in a room higher than the 8th floor.
But if fire does break out, call the lobby to see where it is. Don't just leave your room. Find out first if you need to leave the room. If you do, crawl out the door to the nearest stairway.
If you can't get out, stuff a wet towel under the door and head for the bathroom. Fill the tub with water and wait for help.
If you follow these rules and don't panic, your escape
plan can go as smoothly as a fire drill.
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