For holiday travelers who will be staying in hotels or motels, officials with the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection's Amador-El Dorado Unit offer several fire safety tips.
Statistically, one of every 12 hotels/motels reports a fire each year, according to a Cal Fire news release.
For those staying in lodgings, fire officials recommend:
• During check-in, ask the clerk what the smoke alarms sound like.
• On your way to your room, note the location of fire exits and count how many doors you must pass before you reach the exit. Check to see that the exit is not locked. If it is, immediately report it to the manager.
• Review the escape plan posted in your room with family members. The escape plan usually is found on the back of the hotel or motel room door.
• Keep you room key on the nightstand so you can grab it and leave if necessary
• If you hear an alarm, immediately leave the building. Don't stop to get dressed or pack your bags. Take the stairs, not the elevator, if you are on an upper level.
• If you find there is smoke in the hallway, crawl on your hands and knees below the smoke, where the air will be cooler and safer to breath.
• If you can't escape, place wet towels or blankets in the cracks of the door of your room to prevent smoke from entering. Call the fire department and tell them where you are. Wait at the window and use a flashlight or light-colored cloth to signal your location. If you call 911, tell the dispatcher what city you are in, then the name and address of the hotel or motel, and the room number.
For more information on fire and life safety topics, see the website at www.usfa.fema.gov/citizens/.
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