How to Keep Your Hoboken Hotel Safe From a Fire

12/8/2022 (Permalink)

Owning and running a hotel comes with its own set of challenges for both the owner and staff.

One of the most important aspects of safety that needs to be considered includes implementing the right fire safety measures for hotels to help avoid costly damage. This is important information for any time of the year, but especially as more and more people come in and book rooms for the holiday season.

Fire Safety Measures for Hotels

According to the U.S. Fire Administration, approximately 4,000 fires take place at hotels and motels each year which result in at least $100 million worth of property damage. Many hotel owners assume that their fire safety measures are up to industry standards but in reality, essential steps are often overlooked. Below are the essential fire safety considerations that no hotel owner should overlook:

Holding Regular Fire Drills and Testing Fire Alarms

Fire alarms are possibly the most important element to hotel safety in the event of a fire. Once an alarm sounds, hotel occupants are immediately aware of the situation and can make their way out of the property quickly. Unfortunately, most hotels do not have their fire alarms adequately checked and tested. For this reason, it is critical to conduct regular fire alarm tests.

During a fire alarm test, set control panels to ‘test mode’ to avoid notifying emergency services and press the fire alarm button to test the system. Test results need to be recorded for future reference. For faulty alarms, have them replaced immediately to prevent problems in the event of a fire.

Regular fire drills are also important to prepare staff members on the correct evacuation procedures and for the management to highlight any areas that need to be improved. Before heading into your busiest seasons, this is even more important, as more people will be booking rooms, causing procedures to escort crowds and crowds of people.

Keep Fire Extinguishers Close

All hotels need to be equipped with fire extinguishers rated class A, B, and C which can extinguish small fires involving paper, wood, gas, and oil. Fire extinguishers need to be placed within 75 feet from a hotel property but guest rooms are not required to be equipped with any as there are already several placed in the hallway. Fire extinguishers also need to be checked regularly to ensure they are at the proper gauge or weight limit.

Decluttering

Hallways, rooms, and common areas need to be free of clutter to ensure fire safety can be maintained at all times. It just takes a small flame to turn cluttered spaces into an uncontrollable fire. Things like boxes, equipment, or trash need to be moved and stored at appropriate places to allow occupants to move quickly in the event of a fire. Encourage your guests to bring all of their belongings into their rooms once they check in. Anything left outside of the door can cause a few second delay in escaping the fire.

Regular Inspections

Hotels need to have their fire alarms, lights, fire extinguishers, and sprinklers inspected at least once a year. Professionally inspecting these items can ensure that any problems can be addressed at an early stage to prevent bigger, more costly issues.

Commercial Fire Damage Insurance

Fires can do thousands and even hundreds of thousands in damage and hotels without commercial fire damage insurance can be slapped with hefty damage costs. Ensure that your hotel has sufficient coverage in the event of a fire.

As the holiday season approaches, it is a good idea to set a time aside for all of your staff to come in for a meeting and go over all safety procedures set in place in the event of a fire. Even if this was already done a few months back, you may have hired some additional seasonal help that are not fully aware of the procedures - plus, it’s always good to have a refresher.

Reach out with any and all of your questions and inquiries: (201) 656-0035

About SERVPRO Team Harvey
SERVPRO of Hoboken/Union City is proudly owned by Lance and Jennifer Harvey - a husband and wife duo that owns three other SERVPRO locations, including SERVPRO of West Somerset County, SERVPRO of Lower Manhattan, and SERVPRO of Aberdeen/Holmdel.

We understand the stress and worry that comes with a fire or water damage and the disruption it causes your home or business. Our goal is to help minimize the interruption to your life and quickly make it “like it never even happened.”