Fire, Fire! What's your escape plan?
WORLDWIDE | Thursday, 29 January 2009 | Views [843] | Comments [1]
Going on holiday should be a fun and exciting time, filled with meeting new people, new places and new foods. Nobody wants to think that they might get hurt or sick on their holiday, but the possibility does exist, unfortunately. A good example of this is the tragic incident of fire, at the Palace Hostel in Childers, Australia. A few minutes of thinking "what would I do if this happened" can make the difference between having a scary story to tell, afterwards and not making it out alive.
Our roving medical expert Dr. Erik McLaughlin MD, who is also a qualified fire fighter, shares his tips on safely escaping a hotel fire.
Exit visas
Usually, when I check into a room, I am trying to dump my bags, clean up and get out to the excitement, as quick as possible.
Taking a few minutes to simply look around can make a world of difference. Look at where the entrances and exits are, especially those close to your room.
In a real fire, there is a lot of heat, confusion, panic and smoke. These things all combine to help reduce your vision, impair clear thinking and cause bad judgment. Knowing where the exits of a building are may seem like an easy thing to do, but could you find your way there, blindfolded and crawling? This is basically what escaping a fire is like.
Taking a few minutes to think about what you would do if the fire alarm goes off or you are alerted to a fire can make the process of evacuation go much smoother. I believe that if you have thought and prepared for an event, chances are it will not be as scary as if you are completely unprepared. Think, where would I go, what would I bring and what can I do to keep my self safe as I am getting out.
Smoke and Heat
Most deaths in fires come from smoke inhalation and not actually burning.
Should you find yourself in a room and smoke is coming under your door, from a fire in a nearby room or hallway, you need to assess the threat to you. This is best done by first checking your room door. Feel the door first, with the back of your hand. I say back of the hand because if the door has a fire behind it, it will be hot and could burn you. A burn to the back of the hand may hurt, but still allows you to use that hand for grasping, crawling, etc. If the door is hot to the touch, don't open it! This means fire is likely on the other side of the door and you need to look for another way out. For that smoke coming in under the door, stop the crack up with a wet towel from the bathtub.
Finding out what is happening is important. Try calling the front desk and asking what is happening, is that ramen burning on the stove or is the entire top floor on fire? If there is no answer at the front desk, call the local emergency number and tell them where you are and ask to speak to a firefighter on the scene.
Signaling for help
If you are trapped in a room and are unable to get out, due to the exits being blocked or fire keeping you trapped, you need to get attention from rescuers and let them know where you are.
Open your window and try to shout for help, even throwing things down to the ground below. Firefighters are trained to look for clutter on the ground and then look up for open windows and people needing rescue. Unrolled toilet tissue, sheets and even clothing are all good things to drop down.
Be cautious that fire on nearby floors can mean smoke funneling into your open window. Hanging a wet towel or sheet in the window can help decrease the smoke coming into your room and still signal for help. Larger and well funded fire departments, found in most major cities often have ladder trucks. These trucks can help rescue people from windows, but they cannot generally reach above the 7th floor of a building. Remember this when selecting your room.
Time to Go
The goal of a fire is to get out safely. Obviously, this should be done as quickly as possible but try not to run. Running can mean tripping and falling. That is never good. In the fire department, I was taught to "walk with a purpose". This means walking like I have a goal in my walk, not just meandering around.
Basic physics means that smoke and heat rise and the hotter and smokier parts of the room will be at the top. You can avoid the problems by staying low and crawling under the heat and smoke, on your hands and knees.
Also, don't even think of trying to grab your stuff. Gear is replaceable, you are not.
During your trip out, you may come in contact with fire and your clothing may catch fire. Remember that "stop, drop and roll" puts fires out. If you are on fire, resist the temptation to run as this will only make the fire grow in size. Instead, drop to the ground and begin to roll, which helps put the fire out.
If you see somebody else on fire, the goal is to get them to do the same and you can try to smother the fire with a blanket.
Once you've made the decision to try and escape the fire, consider jumping in the shower and wetting yourself down, before you leave. Try to grab a wet towel to wrap around your head and mouth as you are leaving. Synthetic clothing may melt to your skin in hot temperatures; natural fibers generally do not. Do not even think about trying to take an elevator, as this might lead to you becoming trapped inside, on the way down. Instead, look for stairs as your method of escape.
When I travel with others, we usually have a pre-arranged meeting spot, in case of trouble. This is usually a point near-by the hotel. We have used light posts, cafes and even bushes as meeting spots. The point is that when you are safe, go to that point. Everybody else will meet you there. This avoids the problem of not knowing where people are. If they are safe, they should be waiting for you at your meeting spot. This is especially helpful in talking about fire safety with children and can even be used in running a "fire drill".
Fire, fire! Key points to remember
- As you check in, make sure you know the locations of all the exits near your room
- Take a minute to think which way you'd go to escape your room
- Assume all fire alarms are real
- Check your door for heat
- If safe, exit your room through hallway and emergency exit
- Stay low on your way out
- If door is hot, look for another exit
- Block smoke from entering room with wet towels or sheets
- Signal for help by yelling or dropping items below window
- If traveling with others, get out and get to your meeting spot
There are several portable smoke detectors (such as the FlareSafe) that can be carried for extra security in "unimproved" hotels with out such devices. These take very little room and can offer not only peace of mind but also help protect your life.
Hotel fires are an unfortunate reality of life and travel. Taking a few minutes to think about what you would do and where you would go can make all the difference, if the time to evacuate a fire comes.
Calm thinking and a little pre-planning can usually overcome most obstacles and escaping a fire is a great example.
Fire, fire! What's your escape plan?
Tags: fire, safety, planning, smoke alarm, travel gadget, hotel fire, hotel safety
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