Stay Safe In An Emergency
Prepare For Blackouts, Fires
Updated: 10:14 a.m. EDT April 19, 2004
A 3,000-room Las Vegas mega-resort with state-of-the-art everything and backups for days should never have been without power for four days. But the blackout at Bellagio last week pointed out what far too many people forget: Nothing is infallible.
That goes for fire-safety systems as well. Some of the stories coming out of the Bellagio power outage this week indicate some sort of massive backflow of electricity shorted out the main power lines and redundant systems, affecting everything from air conditioning to the fire sprinklers. If a fire had been sparked during (or caused by) the outage, a minor inconvenience could have turned into a major tragedy.
With that in mind, it seemed like a good time to cover the basics of personal safety and the unique way it is applied to the gigantic hotels and casinos in Las Vegas. It is crucial that everyone knows what to do when faced with a panic situation in a public place -- and Las Vegas is pretty much one big public place.
The sprinklers you see in almost every high-rise in the nation are there, in part, ecause of a horrific blaze that happened in Las Vegas in 1980. A small fire smoldered for hours at the original MGM Grand (now Bally's) and eventually erupted into an inferno that killed more than 80 people, many of whom were trapped in their rooms.
After that fire, the U.S. Congress enacted laws that mandated sprinkler and fire safety systems in all high-rises, life-saving systems that weren't required at the MGM Grand at that time.
Today, the hotels in Las Vegas are among the safest in the world, but that doesn't mean you can ignore the dangers. All of these fire safety systems are mechanical or controlled by computers. Although many will say they are infallible, that kind of thinking has led to disaster in the past.
The bulk of this is aimed at your safety in the event of a fire, but there is some practical advice that can help in any emergency situation, even a blackout.
Pack One More Thing
Start your safety preparedness before you leave home by packing a small flashlight. Although hotels are equipped with emergency lighting, it may fail or be obscured by smoke; a flashlight could be instrumental in helping you get to the exits. Counting Things Other Than Cards
After arriving in your room, take the time to identify where the emergency stairwells are located. Count the number of doorways from your room to the stairwell and walk the route to familiarize yourself with any hallway twists or other obstacles. During a fire, the halls may be filled with blinding smoke, but you'll be able to feel your way along the path, counting off doorways by touch until you reach the one that will take you to safety. You Are Here
Take a moment to identify where your room is situated in the overall scheme of the hotel tower and how you can distinguish it from the thousands of other rooms. Knowing your room number will be helpful, but knowing the placement of that room can help direct rescuers to you in the event of an emergency. For instance: Are you in the north or south end of the tower? Are you facing the Strip or the freeway? How many rooms are between you and the elevator or stairwell? Don't Ignore; Don't Pack
As with car alarms, many people have gotten blase about fire alarms in public places. Don't be. If you're in your room and the fire alarm sounds, grab your room key and head for the door. It may be tempting to collect your other belongings, but that temptation can cost you your life. During the MGM Grand fire in 1980, several people were found in an elevator bay with their suitcases; despite the billowing smoke, they had taken the time to pack -- that decision proved fatal. Check the Door; Forget the Elevators
When leaving your room during a fire, be sure to feel the door and knob first to check for heat. If it's warm, don't open it. There may be fire on the other side. If it is cool to the touch, open the door carefully and head immediately to the emergency stairwell. Do not use the elevator, as these systems may fail during a fire, leaving you trapped or worse. At the MGM Grand in 1980 the heat from the fire was so intense that it melted elevator cables, sending them crashing to the ground with people on board. When To Go Back To Your Room
If the halls are filled with smoke, you should try to crawl to the nearest exit, as the freshest air will be near the floor. But if the smoke is too dense even at floor level, turn around and go back to your room. Stairwells are supposed to be constructed to keep smoke and fire out, but in many situations they can act as chimneys, funneling smoke to the top of the building. If you arrive at the stairwell and find it too dense with smoke, go back to your room. Trapped In Your Room
If you find yourself trapped in your room by smoke or flames, you have a quick decision to make between calling for help or sealing the room. Which you do first totally depends on the situation. If smoke is coming into your room, you should try to seal it up with wet towels before making the phone call. In the time it takes you to see if the phone is working and relate your situation to someone, the smoke could overwhelm you and you will not be physically able to seal the room and save your own life. Seal the bottom of the doorway and check the air-conditioning vents as well. Filling the bathtub with water may also be helpful. Once you have accomplished this, go to the phone and see if it is still in operation, giving anyone who answers your room number, location in the hotel tower and a brief rundown of how dire your situation is, including any injuries. If the smoke has not begun filtering in your room, make the call first and then start placing the wet towels around the doors and vents. Don't Break The Windows
Although most modern hotel rooms in Vegas do not have windows that open, many have vents at the top or bottom of the sills that you can open to let in a little fresh air. It may be tempting, but do not break the windows. Fire needs oxygen to survive and it will seek the best available source, thereby drawing the flames and smoke toward you. In addition, most fire departments are not equipped with ladders that can reach much past the seventh floor of a high-rise, so if help is going to come it's going to come through your door, not the window. Don't Panic
It sounds a lot easier than it actually is, but the No. 1 thing you have to do in an emergency situation is stay calm. Panicking will lead to bad decisions, and bad decisions will lead to disaster.
Start your safety preparedness before you leave home by packing a small flashlight. Although hotels are equipped with emergency lighting, it may fail or be obscured by smoke; a flashlight could be instrumental in helping you get to the exits. Counting Things Other Than Cards
After arriving in your room, take the time to identify where the emergency stairwells are located. Count the number of doorways from your room to the stairwell and walk the route to familiarize yourself with any hallway twists or other obstacles. During a fire, the halls may be filled with blinding smoke, but you'll be able to feel your way along the path, counting off doorways by touch until you reach the one that will take you to safety. You Are Here
Take a moment to identify where your room is situated in the overall scheme of the hotel tower and how you can distinguish it from the thousands of other rooms. Knowing your room number will be helpful, but knowing the placement of that room can help direct rescuers to you in the event of an emergency. For instance: Are you in the north or south end of the tower? Are you facing the Strip or the freeway? How many rooms are between you and the elevator or stairwell? Don't Ignore; Don't Pack
As with car alarms, many people have gotten blase about fire alarms in public places. Don't be. If you're in your room and the fire alarm sounds, grab your room key and head for the door. It may be tempting to collect your other belongings, but that temptation can cost you your life. During the MGM Grand fire in 1980, several people were found in an elevator bay with their suitcases; despite the billowing smoke, they had taken the time to pack -- that decision proved fatal. Check the Door; Forget the Elevators
When leaving your room during a fire, be sure to feel the door and knob first to check for heat. If it's warm, don't open it. There may be fire on the other side. If it is cool to the touch, open the door carefully and head immediately to the emergency stairwell. Do not use the elevator, as these systems may fail during a fire, leaving you trapped or worse. At the MGM Grand in 1980 the heat from the fire was so intense that it melted elevator cables, sending them crashing to the ground with people on board. When To Go Back To Your Room
If the halls are filled with smoke, you should try to crawl to the nearest exit, as the freshest air will be near the floor. But if the smoke is too dense even at floor level, turn around and go back to your room. Stairwells are supposed to be constructed to keep smoke and fire out, but in many situations they can act as chimneys, funneling smoke to the top of the building. If you arrive at the stairwell and find it too dense with smoke, go back to your room. Trapped In Your Room
If you find yourself trapped in your room by smoke or flames, you have a quick decision to make between calling for help or sealing the room. Which you do first totally depends on the situation. If smoke is coming into your room, you should try to seal it up with wet towels before making the phone call. In the time it takes you to see if the phone is working and relate your situation to someone, the smoke could overwhelm you and you will not be physically able to seal the room and save your own life. Seal the bottom of the doorway and check the air-conditioning vents as well. Filling the bathtub with water may also be helpful. Once you have accomplished this, go to the phone and see if it is still in operation, giving anyone who answers your room number, location in the hotel tower and a brief rundown of how dire your situation is, including any injuries. If the smoke has not begun filtering in your room, make the call first and then start placing the wet towels around the doors and vents. Don't Break The Windows
Although most modern hotel rooms in Vegas do not have windows that open, many have vents at the top or bottom of the sills that you can open to let in a little fresh air. It may be tempting, but do not break the windows. Fire needs oxygen to survive and it will seek the best available source, thereby drawing the flames and smoke toward you. In addition, most fire departments are not equipped with ladders that can reach much past the seventh floor of a high-rise, so if help is going to come it's going to come through your door, not the window. Don't Panic
It sounds a lot easier than it actually is, but the No. 1 thing you have to do in an emergency situation is stay calm. Panicking will lead to bad decisions, and bad decisions will lead to disaster.
This Week's Trivia
Q: A deal was struck last week to purchase the bankrupt Castaways Hotel near downtown Las Vegas. What as the original name of that hotel when it opened in the 1950s? ANSWER The Weekly Trivia Question is sponsored by the Online Memorabilia Museum at Vegas4Visitors.comThe Full Story
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