Hotel Safety
Tips for TravelersWhat to Look for in a Safe Hotel
If possible, select a hotel with has installed modern
electronic guest room locks. The majority of these locks
automatically change the lock combination with every new
guest so there is little chance of someone having a
duplicate key to your room. If you lose or misplace your
key, ask to have your room re-keyed immediately.
Is each room equipped with a dead bolt lock and a
peephole?
Fire sprinklers in hotel rooms, hallways, and meeting rooms
likewise for smoke detectors. If each room is not equipped
with a smoke detector, are Sprinkles systems installed in
the hallways or is your only hope the local fire department.
Each room telephone should allow outside dialing.What to Look for in a Safe Hotel
Secure locks on windows and adjoining doors.
Well-lit interior hallways, parking structures and grounds.
Hotels that have limited access to hotel structure, generally
the more limited the access; the less likely a trespasser will
enter.
The parking garage should not have elevators taling
passengers to guest floors. It should only go to the lobby.
Does hotel provide personnel trained in guest security and
available for escorts to rooms and auto when requested?Room Selection
Maximize safety and security. Select a room
located between the 4 and 6th floor Avoid rooms
above the sixth floor--the maximum height that
fire-department ladders can reach.
Whenever possible do not accept a hotel on the
ground floor that has doors and windows that
open to the outside.
Guestrooms that are as close to the elevators as
possible are safest, but tend to be noisier.Fire!
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Each year some 32.6 million fires strike Americans at home, in
hotels, or at the workplace. That's one fire virtually every
second of the day. Fire is the third largest cause of accidental
injury and death in this country. Injuries by fire total two million
annually, and one out of every eight accidental deaths is from
fire.
The U.S. and Canada have the highest rates of death by fire
than any other country in the world. But it isn't necessary to
die in the event of fire, even if you are thousands of miles from
home in a hotel room with no fire sprinkler system. However,
you have to take charge of your own safety. And you have to
be prepared in the event the worst happens.&
Plan Ahead
Before you hang up your clothes or plop down to relax,
familiarize yourself 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. Use the map to locate
the two exits nearest your room.
Take your key and head out the door. Try to imagine how you
would find your way to the nearest fire exit in the dark while
crawling on your hands and knees. Count the doorways
between you and the fire exit and note any obstacles that
could get in your way.&
Plan Ahead
When you reach the exit, open the door. A locked door will
surely be a death trap if a fire were to occur. If the door is
alarmed, first notify the hotel security department of your
intention to open the door. Then, without letting the door
close behind you, possibly trapping you in the stairwell, take a
look inside to get an idea of its configuration and to confirm
that the stairwell is free of obstacles that could block your
escape.
On your way to or from your room, find the nearby fire alarms
and fire extinguishers or fire hoses. If there are none visible,
call the front desk when you return to your room to ask their
location. Then go verify their actual presence.&
Plan Ahead
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Place that all-important flashlight next to your bed. It's much
too dangerous to be stumbling around in a dark hotel in the
middle of the night if the electricity goes out. Also, if you have
to evacuate in the event of a fire, the flashlight will help guide
you down a smoke filled hallway.
Remember, if there is a fire or other such emergency, you are
pretty much on your own to evacuate yourself, especially at
night. What you learn in the few minutes it takes you to orient
yourself to your room and the surrounding areas could mean
the difference between life and death.&
Plan Ahead
When you return to your room, look out the window to see if it
would be possible to jump without breaking your neck. In
case I’d you’d have to escape that way, look for obstacles
under your window.
Verify the operation of the smoke detector in your room.
Typically, a small light on the smoke detector indicates its
operation. If unsure that it is working, call the front desk for
assistance.i
If There is a Fire
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If there is any indication or even a suspicion of a fire, call the
hotel operator immediately. Give your name, room number,
and a brief description of the situation.
Before attempting to leave your room, grab your key. If your
family is with you, determine a meeting place outdoors so you
will know everyone is safe.
Feel the door with the back side of your hand. (if you used
your palm, it might burn your hand due to heat transfer and
you would have a hard time using it) If the door or knob is
warm, do not open it.&
If There is a Fire
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If the door is not warm, drop to your knees and slowly open
the door, but be ready to slam it should a cloud of smoke roll
in. If the hallway is clear, head for the exit, not the elevator.
Close your door behind you. Take your key with you. Do not
stand upright, but crawl or keep low to the floor to avoid
smoke and odorless carbon monoxide.
Stay on the same side of the hall as your exit, counting the
number of doors to the exit. When you reach the exit, walk
quickly, but cautiously down the stairs, and hold on to the
handrail as you go. Smoke will sometimes get into an exit
stairwell. iyo encounter smoke, do not try to run through it.
Turn around and walk up. Proceed to a smoke free corridor
and cross the building to an alternate exit.&
If There is a Fire
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If you are unable to leave your room, make every effort to
notify someone that you are in your room. If you cannot reach
the hotel operator, call the local fire Be PALME and identify
youn exact location. Signal to them by hanging a bed sheet
rom your window.
If there is smoke in your room, open the window. Do not break
the glass unless it is absolutely necessary because heavier
smoke may begin to enter from outside.
Fill the bathtub with water. Wet towels and sheets and stuff
them around the door and vent which is allowing smoke to
enter the room. If the door and walls are hot, bail water on
them with your ice bucket to keep them cool. Place the
mattress up against the door and hold it in place with the
dresser. Keep it wet.i
If There is a Fire
Keep everything wet. A wet towel tied around your nose and
mouth will help filter out smoke if you fold it into a triangle
and put the corner in your mouth.
If there is a fire outside of the window, pull down the drapes
and move everything that is flammable away from the window.
Do not jump from the room if you are higher than one story. A
fall from this height can cause serious injury. Rather, continue
Hd Protect yourself from the fire and signal from your window
for help.