Emergency Escape Routes

When staying in hotels, or even at a friend’s or relative’s home, it’s not good enough to merely know where the emergency exits are, you need to actually walk the primary emergency route you would take. (If staying in a high-rise hotel always request a room on a lower floor.)

For example, once you’ve checked into your hotel room, the first time you leave to go outside instead of taking the normal way take the emergency route. Touch and count how many doors it is from your room to the emergency exit so you could still find it if you’re crawling on all fours in a smoke filled hallway. Know which doors open toward / away from you, what obstructions are along the way, what tools / weapons (e.g., axes, fire extinguishers) are available to you and how would you access them by feel alone, and what non-conventional escape options (e.g., windows, elevator shafts) are available if the emergency route itself is blocked.

Don’t forget, those in your team / family must know the same escape information plus the agreed upon external link-up points. You must have increasing perimeter link-up points in case it’s not possible to remain on the hotel grounds or even in the neighborhood. If you’re abroad, you should know where the American Embassy is located, it might be your final link-up point so don’t leave your passport in the hotel safe! Have it with you at all times so you can get out of the country with minimal hassle.

This type of preparation is a small investment in time so make it part of your SOP (Standard Operating Procedure) when you travel.