June 2008
HOTEL SAFETY Memorial Day was last week, and it traditionally ushers in the beginning of the summer visitor season. It is a good time to review the requirements and recommendations for hotel and motel fire safety. Fire protection is important in all commercial occupancies within Carmel-by-the-Sea, but arguably it is most important in hotels and other hostelries, because in all the other commercial occupancies, the occupants are alert and awake. In hotels, they are asleep a good portion of their stay, and need to have a greater expectation of safety. Smoke detection in guest rooms is the most important factor for guest safety. Detectors are designed to alert the occupants of a sleeping room that there is smoke in the room and that they should immediately leave the room. Detectors can be either system detectors (part of a fire alarm system) or single station smoke alarms. Smoke detectors which are part of the building fire alarm system are serviced on a regular basis by the fire alarm service company as part of their regular testing and maintenance contract with the hotel. For single station smoke alarms, testing is up to the hotel management. The City of Carmel-by-the-Sea requires single station smoke alarms to be tested every day, and if battery powered, have their batteries changed every six months. Documentation recording the daily tests is to be provided to the fire inspector upon request. Another common fire hazard found in hotel rooms, and responsible for the last several hotel room fires, is the fireplace. A lot of properties have converted wood-burning fireplaces to gas fireplaces. However, for fireplaces using wood or other solid fuel, it is required that the hotel have a contract with a licensed, certificated chimney sweep to provide an annual inspection and cleaning of each fireplace and chimney. Documentation of these inspections needs to be provided upon request. The last item which is on the hotel/motel inspection checklist is the posting of emergency information in each guest room. This is California State Law (Title 19, Section 3.09). The information required to be posted include descriptions of the fire protection systems within the hotel (alarm and/or sprinkler); emergency telephone information; egress information; and the location of portable fire extinguishers in the vicinity of the guest room. In addition, the front desk has to maintain a log of guests who might need special help in emergencies because of a disability or handicap. If you are a hotel guest, it is important that you become aware of all of the fire protection features of the property in which you are staying. I stay in hotels over 100 nights a year, and it has become a routine with me to check on exits, extinguisher locations, and what the fire alarm sounds like whenever I check in to a new hotel. If you have any questions about hotel safety, or fire prevention issues in general, please feel free to contact me. My direct office number is 831 624-8303, but most of the time it is easier to email me (art@carmelfire.com).