For those of us that do a lot of traveling, either for reasons of business or for the purposes of pleasure, you have probably spent dozens if not hundreds of nights in hotel and motel rooms. Being able to travel effectively is an art in and of itself. You spend countless hours making your travel arrangements, finding the best air line tickets, meticulously packing your luggage to avoid overage or extra bag fees and planning the quickest route to and from the ports of call. Unfortunately when it comes to life on the road, many people take for granted the most important aspect of any trip. Yes, we all are concerned with the flight, and the accommodations at the hotel but somehow once we reach our boarding quarters we automatically think we are out of the woods. Each year motel and hotel fires cause hundreds of dollars in damage and lead to serious injuries,even death. Before checking into your hotel or motel room have you gone through proper safety check?
Make Sure Your Hotel Has the Proper Fire Protection Services
Hotels inherently have a great deal of foot traffic, due to the large numbers of people that use them. Naturally it is important to make sure that when you are choosing a hotel that you not only take the cost into consideration, but also your ultimate safety. Each year hotels account for a large portion of reported high-rise fires each year. Hotels that did not have adequate fire protection services eventually will have to deal with major financial repercussions. For example, each year hotels and motels lose over $76 million dollars due to fire damage to property. This is not even taking injuries into account. Many people assume that if the room has a sprinkler system that is adequate, but it is important to to take more steps to ensure the hotel has the proper fire protection services in place. Before checking in, call the hotel and ask about what fire protection services they employ and when the last time their fire suppression services were serviced. Any reputable hotel should be able to give you the information without delay. Don’t sacrifice your safety to save a couple of bucks.
Make your own Fire Protection Plan
Even if your hotel has your safety in mind by having good fire protection services, the truth is that your safety is always your own responsibility. Many people assume that the hardest part of planning any trip is over once the tickets are bought and the itineraries are set in stone. We are all to ready to think about everything going right and not considering what might happy if your vacation or business trip somehow went of the rails. This is why it is important to make sure that you have your own evacuation plan. Even having a cursory plan of action is better than nothing. Once you enter the building make a note of all the entrances and exits, especially the fire exits. By familiarizing yourself with the layout of the building you increase your chances of exiting quickly and safely in the even that there is a fire or another emergency. As the old saying goes, always be prepared.
Hope for the Best, but Prepare for the Worst Case Scenario
Life is hectic, between work family and social obligations, so sometimes the most important things can easily go by the wayside. It always seems that there is barely enough time in the day to do all the things you have to do to make sure life can go on in a smooth fashion. Traveling can be exciting or even a necessary part of our lives, it allows us to leave or cares at home. It is always worth the effort to make sure that your safety is in the forefront of your mind. In times of emergency, split second decisions can be the difference between injury and death or safety. For more ideas on how to make emergency plans while on the road, consult your local fire department.
