Pearson New International Edition International pcl tp indd 1

FRONT OFFICE : HUB OF THE HOTEL
a responsible person, if he or she appears to be in good health, or if he or she does not
appear to need emergency assistance. Never, under any circumstances, make the decision
that someone does not need emergency assistance if the person has requested it.
Guest Notification in Emergencies
Front desk personnel will likely need to alert persons in guestrooms about the pres-
ence of a fire or a potentially life-threatening storm or other natural disaster. They
may also need to issue instructions about precautions to take when there is a power
outage, a bomb threat, or other need for an emergency evacuation. Specific evacua-
tion procedures must be developed for each property, but the following general pro-
cedures are integral to most plans:
•
Phone 911 and state the nature of the emergency; be specific. Set off the fire
alarm.
•
Update and print, if time permits, a list of all occupied rooms; attach a room
layout to the evacuation plan. An occupied rooms list should be among the
front office emergency records prepared at least daily as an integral part of the
department’s standard operating procedures.
•
If an emergency such as a fire pertains to a specific area of the hotel, first call
the rooms occupied next to the emergency area on both sides and any rooms
above or below that area. For instance, as seen in Figure 5, assume a two-
story hotel has rooms that are numbered in a normal pattern. If room 246 is on
fire, call rooms 244, 248, 146, 144 and 148, because rooms immediately next
to, below, and above the fire area should be evacuated as quickly as possible.
•
Do not panic guests; remain calm and direct guests outside. Calmly state:
We must request that you please vacate your room at this time. Use the nearest
exit. Take your room key. Do not use the elevator. Use the stairs. Once outside,
stay away from the building. If you are remaining on the property, go to the
(name of area), our designated safety area.
Room
242
Room
244
Priority
Call
Priority
Call
Room
246
Room
248
Room
250
Second Story
Room
142
Room
144
Room
146
Room
148
Room
150
Priority
Call
Priority
Call
Priority
Call