This also occurred at our NAMIC Convention a few years ago in Tampa. Without going through the details, The scenario was the same. If My company respnded to our clients, as the hotels repnded to theirs, we would definately be sued. I was surprised, when talking to the desk clerk afterwards, The lack of concern of the employees and the lack of information they would share. I looked through the lobby until I found the “manager’s” office. Through the window I could see them casually going about doing what ever they were doing. No one ever came to the rooms to indicate what the status of the “emergancy” was.

I have always checked out the emergency exits when staying at a high rise hotel. If I hear a fire alarm or warning, I respond ASAP according to a prearranged plan. I may feel foolish afterwards. But, what the heck, I can still feel.

Also- travelers are largely unaware of their surroundings in a hotel. They have not looked at the evacuation routes, they don’t know where the exits come outside (sometimes they don’t even know where they are at all); they don’t pay attention to the floor plan so they know how to get to an exit when they are crawling along the floor in heavy smoke; they don’t touch the door to see if it is hot before they open it and they hang around waiting for information or something to happen (a sure plan for a bad ending).

Hotels for their part have limited security with limited training (if any at all) and many smaller properties have a night auditor working behind the counter in an office. That person has no training in security in most cases. Vehicles can be left unattended in close proximity to entrances; bags are left lying around in lobbies on a regular basis. Bags are checked at bell desks with almost no security scrutiny; non hotel guests have easy and open access to all floors and common areas; pool and play areas are easily accessed (tailgating thru gates) and guests in common areas are rarely challenged.

When we move a protectee to a hotel we frequently have to upgrade their security to protect our client, even in large properties. I have one local security director whose property is “gun free” to the point that our details are not allowed to have weapons. However, there is no way for this director to tell if folks have weapons or not because they do no screening and their access control is almost non existent.

Oh- and don’t assume that a law enforcement officer, SERT team or Fire Department team has ever been on the property prior to an event. They are as lost as you are.

What needs to be done is a whole other article!!!