In which a fire alarm is cause for doubting my self-worth

[Lace Neil Singer]

At the garden centre where I used to run the pet shop, we once had to evacuate cuz of a major flood alert. The boss basically told everyone working there to spend an hour putting everything, including the animals, up high and then turn off all the lights. That is cuz customers are basically stupid and won't leave, despite the fact that you can't argue with an act of nature like a flood. When we switched off all the lights, however, the customers were herded like dumb animals to the front of the store where the store owner said, "We're leaving. You need to leave too if you want to go home tonight. Whether you do or not, you're going to go thru that door now or else I'm calling the police". Customers left but several rang up to complain the next day... despite the simple fact that no-one was there cuz the river had burst its banks and all the roads were flooded, so no staff could get in. Cuz, you know, the flood.

[Heksubah]

Someone should tell your boss that reading something in a manual 8 months ago, and then confronting the situation live, in person, with a loud alarm blaring, people calling non-stop, a potential fire going on (until you found out otherwise), and impending fire department response that you are trying to cancel is an entirely different beast. It has never happened to you before and you were trying to corral cats at the same time! You did remarkably well given the circumstances and next time you'll be prepared.

[EricKei]

We live in a world with too many false alarms.

This is very, very true -- Though there is one significant difference: With a car alarm, false or otherwise, it's sooo faaar awaaaay and any potential issues are in the far-off mysterious land of "somewhere else," thus pushing it into SEP territory. With a fire alarm in the current building, any threat, real or imagined, is immediate and present in one's *current* location. I'd rather have to evac for a false alarm than risk not evac-ing for a real one, no matter how remote the chance of an actual fire in a given location ^_^

the desk clerk said a foreign guest (his words, not mine) pulled the fire alarm thinking it would open a door someplace.

That dude's been playing too much Doom >_> *presses button in SW corner of map* *hears the CLUNK of a latch in the NE corner* Grrmllegrah *reloads shotgun*

[MoonCat]

Um, NO. You are neither stupid nor a failure as anything. I don't care how easy something is, if you haven't been shown how to do it, then it's not going to be that simple.

It is management's responsibility to be sure you have complete and updated training on everything. And as for the "inconvenience," those idiots should be glad there are functioning smoke detectors. As a guest, if I'd been annoyed at anybody, it would have been the person who burned the toast, not the hotel employees!

[notalwaysright]

point out that those procedures are in the employee handbook, and that I had to have signed that I read them eight months ago when I was hired.

So what was the procedure? I'm sorry, but anything other than "call the fire department" is unacceptable. Even the firefighter said that the people should be outside, can hotel policy override that? I know there are false alarms, but it seems like a huge liability to just hope that there is no fire...

And I can't express how irritated I get when a manager says "it's in the handbook" in that snarky condescending tone. I know, at least at my work, some policies are not enforced. Then, out of nowhere, it's all "YOU CAN'T DO THAT! IT'S POLICY!" and when someone says "oh, I didn't know" the manager replies "Well, it's in the handbook which you signed that you read." I didn't read that handbook, and yet I signed that I had. I have been trying to read it while on break, and I'd say that one third of the policies are not enforced. And if I was going to be a real pain in the butt, some of these policies are directed at management.

[Seshat]

Your boss is just this side of criminally negligent for not properly training you on emergency procedures
<snip>
I think we can state with some certainty that the problem here isn't you.

The problem isn't you, but a solution could be you.

A good security guard should have been trained, and be regularly retrained, on the procedures for handling the fire alarm and evacuating guests. And on refreshing you on what you should be doing; which you should have been regularly retrained on as well.

Additionally, in every hotel I've been in, the back of the door has a map with a marked fire evacuation route and meeting area. I don't know about the rest of you, but I read that!
(I also read the cards in airline seats.)

As for the procedure - this is what I would devise from my own head, so if any experts chime in, listen to them. Also, read whatever corporate has as procedures. And fire evacuation experts doubtless exist; they're the ideal ones to ask:

1. 911 is NOT overkill. Yes, the visible smoke was from a customer who burned her toast, but it's always quite possible for there to be two sources of smoke; one of which you didn't see.
Therefore, let the experts handle it. You're responsible for <size of hotel> lives; wouldn't you rather be sure?
It's fine to call 911 and say that the smoke alarm is going off, but you think the source of the smoke was burned toast in the breakfast area. THAT is not abuse of 911 - that's giving the dispatcher all the information you have and letting them decide what's wise.

2. Make sure you know where the designated evacuation area is, and at least two evacuation routes from each room in the hotel - even if you do the latter by having a route map.

3. Practice calmly but firmly directing your mirror to go in a particular direction. People will follow a leader in an emergency: you and your night security guard are going to be the only leaders available (unless you happen to be hosting a convention of firefighters or some such).
3a. Safety orange or safety yellow reflective vests, harnesses or helmets can be damned useful; as can tor... er, flashlights. Get your own, especially if you have a locker you can keep it in.

4. Know where a FULLY STOCKED first aid kit is, one that can be detached from the wall/wherever and taken to the evacuation area with you. Know how to use it. This might have to be in your locker as well.

5. If you ARE hosting a convention of firefighters, police, ambulance, emergency department personnel - or heck, air stewards or other people trained in emergency response - don't hesitate to ask one or more of them for assistance. Ideally have them do outside-the-building herding of people to the emergency meeting point; or give one of them the first aid kit. But keeping people calm and together is important.

6. If anyone is trapped in their room by fire, ask them which room and remember it. Have them put wet towels along the bottom of their door, and cover their faces with wet cloths. They should be in the coolest part of their room, and down low, away from smoke as much as possible. If they can flag their room by hanging a sheet from the window/balcony, they should do so.
The moment the firefighters arrive, tell them about the trapped people.

Side note: Your duty is to yourself and the guests who aren't idiots. DON'T allow yourself to be trapped with a landline corded phone: if there's a cordless phone you can take with you, take it; otherwise, abandon the phone.
Get to where the guests who are evacuating via the stairs (and the few who are using the lifts) can see you, direct them to the proper way out. As soon as most - ideally all - of the ones who are actually coming, are out, get out. In a real fire, the building might collapse and you don't want to be under it.
When answering the (cordless!) phone, just tell them to evacuate. Some will need basic guidance. Some will want their hands held all the way - you don't have time to do that; you have <however many> guests to save. Some will be bitching. Hang up on the bitching ones, guide the ones who need basic guidance, and ask the hand-holdy ones which room # they are. memorise it; and tell the firefighters in case they didn't get out. Then give them the same as the basic-guidance people.
If you can; always have a paper copy of guests-and-room-numbers in your grab-and-go kit. This can be given to the firefighter who takes over the evacuation of the hotel from you-and-security-guard; so he can correlate it with the people in the meeting area. (See? This is why you stay together until he/she gets there.)

[Antisocial_Worker]

First off, I want to thank everyone for their comments, and I'm rather surprised -- but very glad -- that everyone seems to think I did the best as could be expected.

Now, Seshat -- I expected practicality from you, and thank you. I intend to speak to my AGM about this to see how we can improve safety and make sure everyone knows exactly what to do and how and when to do it. I'm not willing to let anything like this happen again. I want to be able to depend on my own competence; I hate depending on luck.

And now for something completely different.

I spoke to that other auditor about all of this, and she told me some interesting stories. First, she received her hotel training in the casinos of Atlantic City, and casinos take safety extremely seriously ever since the MGM Grand fire back in 1980. Second, at the property where she works she had her own fire alarm story.

It involved sprinklers.

It involved a US senator. And the Secret Service.

Long story short, while that senator, a VIP if there ever was one, was in house, on the first floor, someone managed to not only set off the fire alarm but the sprinkler system as well. On the first floor -- so in addition to the blaring alarms, and the flooding of the first floor, she had the Secret Service up her ass trying to make sure no one was trying to assassinate the senator.

Considering that, and considering that my only run-in with national politics was the time I had to change the bed after a presidential candidate staffer had her period in it, I think I got off easy.

[TopEndDave]

I once had a lecturer at the university complain that the fire alarm was too loud. He couldn't continue his phone conversation with it going off. This was in the science building full of hundred of litres of flammable liquid. I wouldn't want to be anywhere near that building if there was a fire.

The MGM Grand fire is a good example of how people will ignore fire warnings.

[BeeMused]

I've just found the perfect sign for all hotels and other places mentioned.
Fire before Tweet

[sirwired]

At my workplace, one smoke detector would summon security; two detectors automatically dumps the building, and can only be reset by the fire department. A wall-station always dumps the building, again, only with a fire-dept. reset.

I'll bet the douche-nozzle that can't drive a trailer drove happily off into the sunset...

The couple may not be entirely SOL; most regular auto policies will cover most any car you happen to rent. You'll have to pay your deductible, but it's better than having to pay out of pocket.

[Kit-Ginevra]

As far as 911 goes,they'd rather turn up and find out it's a burning toaster-nothing to worry about,let's go home again lads than not be called until it's too late.
And most normal people on hearing a fire alarm that's not a drill would evacuate out,get to their safe place and stand chatting about the weather until it's time to go back in and be very glad-ok false alarm but we're not having someone burning to death in there...

[registerrodeo]

We have monthly fire drills where I work (state mandated) Each month is a different time so all shifts get them, and also done on weekends because some only work on weekends. It is amazing when the weekend ones are done at how scattered the weekend workers handle them (have been there for a few of them). If you are not getting constant practice and reinforcement on proper procedures (it is always 'set off' in a different area) like not crossing fire lines, putting the evacuation tags on the doors, what sections each department is assigned to (kitchen staff has set areas they are to go assist in, while housekeeping and medical/RA's are in the section they are assigned to work at that day), it is easy to forget what to do. After one particularly disastrous Saturday one, I told Bossman if that had been a real fire we would have all died. He has started doing them more on Saturdays and evenings. If your asshole boss wants you to be proficient in what to do, maybe some fire drills are in order..practice makes perfect! And don't feel bad about the guests not leaving and bitching..our residents are the same way

[Seshat]

Antisocial Worker:
"I'm not willing to let anything like this happen again. I want to be able to depend on my own competence; I hate depending on luck."

I am pleased, and unsurprised, to hear you say that.

If you want an ally in this, talk to your local fire department. 90% - or more - of firefighters would be delighted to have you properly trained in evacuation procedures.

Oh. And I just thought of another tool to always have in your pocket, next to the LED flashlight (and possibly an LED headlamp): a pen which writes well and reliably on your skin. That way you can write the room numbers of trapped or reluctant-to-evacuate guests on your arm.

And I forgot to mention the second reason for you to have a reflective vest/harness/whatever: it'll make you look official. Not just highly visible, but it'll make something in the back of peoples' minds go 'oh, this must be the fire marshal for the hotel': they'll be just a touch more likely to obey you when you direct them to the evacuation area.
Of course, being visible and official also means the idiots will more easily find you to complain to you; but don't hesitate to command. Goal #1: everyone survives.
'everyone is happy with me' is waaaaay over there as a goal --------------------------------------------------->

[raudf]

I've only had to deal with two different places of employment, but the experience for fire safety was night and day. At MW Repair, the manager told us, "Don't bother with the register. Don't mess with the phones. DRAG THE CUSTOMERS OUT PHYSICALLY IF YOU HAVE TO. DRAG THEM ACROSS THE STREET. One of you move the spare van and then contact techs to reroute 'em to the store. While that person is doing that, another of you go to an UNCONNECTED BUILDING and call 911!!"

The words capitalized were the words he emphasized, and with good reason. The repair center had a lot of hazardous liquids that became even more hazardous in gas form. And yes, he meant we should drag customers out if need be, because he was a tech before he became manager. The only faith he had left in customers were that they had no common sense.

Mart of Wals... Ugh, that was hell. First, finish ringing up current customer, get them to pay, meanwhile try getting the other customers to leave their precious stuff behind and get outside. You had to wait until all customers were clear before you could leave. Oh, and we had to be calm and polite as possible so as to avoid scaring or pissing off customers. Thankfully, it never came up during my year there. I think I'd have been hard pressed to not say, "You wanna shop in a burning store, be my guest. The gene pool could do with a good cleaning." (I'd have to admit, I'd fight harder to prevent someone with kids from entering. Including possible kidnap charges, if need be.)

[Lace Neil Singer]

The time on Christmas Eve when we had to call the fire brigade cuz of a mass spillage, and we had a fire engine right there, there were still customers trying to get into the petrol station and whining, "But it's Christmas Eve!" Personally, if I saw that a petrol station had a fire engine there, I'd run.