Fire Safety on the Road
Fire safety is important, even when you’re traveling. Unfortunately we can’t go through our lives protected by hermetically sealed packaging. Nor should we go through life looking for dangers behind every door or around every corner. The best we can do is to be aware and keep our eyes open. That little piece of advice applies to our business or pleasure trips that take us to hotels or motels.
We can’t really provide all the possible safety tips for hotels and motels which range from structures like Vegas casinos with sprinklers and alarms but so massive you almost need to leave a trail of bread crumbs to find your way from your room to the exits; to small, one-story cabins. The bigger the hotel, the more important it is for you to identify safe exits.
Here are a few suggestions:
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Start right by verifying the hotel has smoke alarms and fire sprinklers when making your reservations. Pack a flashlight. If you’re traveling by car, bring your car’s flashlight into the room with you. (Don’t we all have one in our glove compartments or as part of our car’s emergency kit?)
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When you check in and go to your room, identify fire doors and stairways on your way. If you’re staying in a large complex, pay attention to where you’re going. This will help you find your way back to your room as well as dispel any confusion if you have to evacuate. Also, locate the fire alarms on your floor.
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Once in your room, look for the hotel’s evacuation plan and commit it to memory. If you’re on a ground floor, identify a secondary exit.
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If you’ve managed to start a fire in your room, get out, sound the alarm and notify the front desk.
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In the event of an evacuation, never use the elevator, always use the stairwell. Take your room key with you in case you have to return due to smoke and flames.
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If the alarm sounds, check the door for heat. If the door feels hot, go to your secondary escape route. If there is no other way out of the room, stay in it. Seal the door cracks, turn off any fans or air conditioning, notify the fire department of your location and signal from your window.
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If you feel no heat, carefully open the door a crack to determine there is no heavy smoke or fire in the hallway. If the hallway is smoky, crawl along the floor to the nearest exit.
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