Fire alarm!

[Judith96a]

Yesterday I met up with some friends for lunch.
I had booked a hotel room to change in. Arrived there later than I intended (long and irrelevant story). Getting my makeup on took longer than I anticipated, mostly cos I was all thumbs and tried something different with my eyebrows.
I had just finished getting dressed and was about to put on my coat when the fire alarm sounded. First thought was "I hope it's a test" but it soon became obvious that it was not a system test but an actual evacuation. So... coat on, makeup / money / car keys into handbag, grab room key and out in double quick time!
Of course, I'm last out, walking out the front door with everyone else already gathered in the car park!
Turns out that it was a drill after all.

[deebra]

And you just blended in with everyone else, aw shucks. What Does That Tell You???? We are our own enemy, no one else cares.

The answer is: Dress as fem as you want, go out, and enjoy; No One Cares.

[CarlaWestin]

Did you look so hot that you set it off?

[alwayshave]

Wasn't there just a cartoon in the Ask a gg thread about this?

[Krisi]

I used to be involved with that sort of thing when I was working. We would initiate a fire drill and nothing happened. We would go inside and find people sitting at their desks working. We would ask them why they didn't leave the building when they heard the alarm. Their answer: Oh, I figured it was just a drill.

So tell me, how do you know if it's a drill or a real fire or bomb threat? And the point of a drill is to practice so you know what to do in the case of a real emergency.

In your case, you did what you are supposed to do. At least you were fully dressed, not having to stand around in heels and a dress but unshaven and no makeup. You were planning on going out anyway.

[Judith96a]

Wasn't there just a cartoon in the Ask a gg thread about this?

Yes, I've just found it! See here https://www.crossdressers.com/forums/showthread.php?p=4048524

In your case, you did what you are supposed to do. At least you were fully dressed, not having to stand around in heels and a dress but unshaven and no makeup. You were planning on going out anyway.

At work, I'm a fire warden so I know that if the alarm only sounds for a few seconds it's a system test. If it's still sounding after 30 seconds it's most definitely time to get out (whether it's a drill or for real).
How do you know if it's a drill or for real? Well, if it's -5C outside then it's most likely not a drill (fire officer isn't that sadistic!) Likewise, if you find the boss standing in the car park trying to continue his meeting, it's most likely not a drill. You only know that it is a drill when you get everyone out and the evacuation controller clicks their stopwatch and says "thanks everyone". On this occasion, the EC had clicked her stopwatch before I reached "safety" (plus the fire brigade didn't turn out).

I was, as you suggest, mightily relieved that I was fully clothed and almost ready to go when the alarm sounded. 30 minutes earlier???? Eeek! The one thing that I didn't do "by the book" was that I evacuated, got into my car and went on my way without in any sense reporting in. Had there been a fire, I'm not sure that they could have accounted for me until I returned.

[Sara Jessica]

Reminds me of a little fire drill story where my friend was in your potential "30 minutes earlier" state of getting ready. We were at the Sahara hotel in Vegas and this was probably the first and only time that I was all ready and waiting for her. The fire alarm went off and given that she wasn't so ready, I grabbed my things and made my way downstairs, cell phone in hand to advise her of the situation. Of course it was a drill and she never left the room but had I got the notion that there was anything real going on, she'd have heard from me right away.

These things can happen at any time, emergency, drill or fire safety system mishap. Makes you think about the what-if when it comes to someone who might be getting dolled up in the privacy of their hotel room in a hotel full of colleagues and clients, as in what if the alarm happened at that fateful moment???

[WandaRae2009]

A fire drill was the first time I was out dressed. I was out of town on a business trip. I was all dressed and trying to get the nerve to head out the door. So the alarm goes off - I grab my purse and head out the door. I was by a back door near my car. I walked out quickly and straight to my car and headed off.

[Meghan4now]

Just imagine if you were on business travel with coworkers at the same hotel.......Darn Sara beat me to it.

[Robbiegirl]

LOL ! Just posted this the other day!hotel_rm_panic.jpg

[Barbara Black]

Even more dangerous than ignoring a possible fire drill, is having a building that the alarm is going off frequently due to mischief. then you get a whole building that begins to ignore the warning. It's very frustrating and scary for firefighters. I'm glad you had a large response to the alarm in your building.

[Helen_Highwater]

I used to be involved with that sort of thing when I was working. We would initiate a fire drill and nothing happened. We would go inside and find people sitting at their desks working. We would ask them why they didn't leave the building when they heard the alarm. Their answer: Oh, I figured it was just a drill.

When the World Trade centre was attacked, even though people had felt the plane hit the building, many people stayed at their desks working. Phone and email records showed some still sat there right up until the building collapsed. Even in the armed forces you're not paid to die. Bell goes, you get out, forget the work and look after No 1.

Judith,
As I read your post I immediately imagined what would have happened 30 minutes earlier. Standing in the car park wearing just bra and knickers under your coat. Very sexy!!

[DIANEF]

Just imagine if you were on business travel with coworkers at the same hotel.......Darn Sara beat me to it.

I was a few weeks ago, spent every evening dressed in my room and dreaded the fire alarm going off.

[jemima_bates]

Yep - my biggest fear in my early dressing days (always clandestine, in a hotel) was the fire alarm going off. Nowadays, I reckon I'd be man woman enough to front up. But those -5deg occasions could be tough in heels and a short dress!

Jemima x

[MelanieAnne]

Are those mandatory in the UK? Kinda disruptive to the guests, especially with no announcement that it was a drill. Could have caused a panic. What about someone taking a shower. Are they supposed to evacuate for a "drill" too?

When the World Trade centre was attacked, even though people had felt the plane hit the building, many people stayed at their desks working.

Those poor people were told to stay in their offices, that everything was OK!

[LydiaL]

I can go along with periodic fire drills at locales such as schools/universities and large work places for folks to get used to safe evacuation procedures. A pox on those that refuse to participate.

But at public locations (hotels, motels, train/bus stations, etc.) with a revolving public? If you hear an alarm, get your butt out ASAP. False alarm or not, dressed or not, your life may be in immediate danger. High rise hotels have burned. Terrorism happens. Fire drills in such public places should never be allowed, IMO.

L

[abby054]

Been there. 5:30am fire alarm at a hotel a few years ago in Austin, Texas, on a mildly chilly February morning. It was the real thing. Everyone got out and quickly. The sprinkler system worked. The fourth floor stairs looked like a waterfall. Everyone stood around outside while the fire dept took care of making the building safe.

No one cared how anyone else looked. And we all looked rough, to put it mildly. We were just relieved that no one was hurt. Take the fire alarms seriously. No one cares how you look in a real fire alarm. They just care that everyone is safe.

[LaurenS]

Fire drills in such public places should never be allowed, IMO.

I don't understand this even after re-reading the last paragraph several times. Help!

[StephanieM]

Are fire drills in hotels a UK thing? I've never experienced one in any hotel, or any public place, other than school, as a child, and work as an adult.

[wanda66]

My work keeps me away most of the week ,so hotel's are a way of life for me .
i have had the fire alarm catch me twice, fortunately it was a simple mater of grabing a rob and a towel on my head.
one of those times while keeking to myself in a out of the way spot ,a gentleman dressed in a robe as well.began a conversation. Long to the short ,we had dinner and a lovely evening.

[Krisi]

.............. Fire drills in such public places should never be allowed, IMO.

How would anyone know if they worked or not if they weren't tested from time to time? And what about testing after repairs? If there's an intercom that reaches every room, they could announce that it was a test. If not, it's got to be a drill.

There may even be a law that requires drills from time to time. In my situation there was.

[tvmelissa]

At work, they test the fire alarm system early in the morning, like 6-6:30 AM. We get a memo from the building management a couple of days before telling us to ignore intermittent ringing of the alarm during the test period, but if the bell rings continuously, it's a real alarm. We also have annual fire drills, where again we're notified a couple of days before.

Also, in the subway stations, I've occasionally heard PA announcements saying that fire alarm testing is in progress, and to ignore intermittent sounding of the alarm. Again, continuous sounding indicates a real alarm.

[Helen_Highwater]

Doing a fire drill in a hotel at odd hours of the night may seem an imposition upon the guests but let's not forget one purpose of the drill is to test the staff's ability to respond and to manage the situation. Doing it during the day when the hotel is likely to be largely empty creates the dilemma as to whether or not the guest is in their room and hence have all the souls in the building been accounted for. It also doesn't test just how effective the evacuation plan is when the guests are under under duress.

It is vitally important to have regular, unannounced fire drills. It tests that the processes and procedures work. How, unless you test it, do you know that the wheel chair user that works on the 5th floor has been brought to safety given that you can't use the lifts? It also reveals those who think it doesn't apply to them and stay at their desks. That should be a disciplinary offence.

Researchers looking at evacuating aircraft recruited students to take part in a test. All followed the instructions, all seemed well. However the researchers didn't feel the test reflected what would happen under real duress so they said to the students, the first 20 off the plane get a cash bonus. The result was chaos. Having an extra incentive, i.e. smoke and flames let alone the chance of $20, would totally transform peoples behavior. Testing is vital. It saves lives.

[Judith96a]

Just imagine if you were on business travel with coworkers at the same hotel.......Darn Sara beat me to it.

Given my nighttime attire when away on business, I don't even want to think about that! Mind you, given my nighttime attire and their usual state of inebriation, they probably wouldn't recognise me!

Judith,
As I read your post I immediately imagined what would have happened 30 minutes earlier. Standing in the car park wearing just bra and knickers under your coat. Very sexy!!

Aye, right! I don't think so. Bra, knickers, slip and half made up! Eeek!

Are those mandatory in the UK? Kinda disruptive to the guests, especially with no announcement that it was a drill. Could have caused a panic. What about someone taking a shower. Are they supposed to evacuate for a "drill" too?

Mandatory - for any and every public building, yes. Disruptive? Yes! In the shower, or not, you're supposed to evacuate!

Helen,
Given that guests don't sign in / out , I don't know how hotels determine whether everyone in the building has got out safely. You're absolutely correct about the purpose of drills. One of the reasons that they are never announced, sometimes even the evacuation controller doesn't know in advance, is so that it's a realistic test. I understand that if you don't do regular fire drills, including a regular unannounced test, then your public liability insurance is void and the local authority will close you down in short order (and a good job too). Who wants to stay in a hotel that doesn't have proven evacuation procedures? I don't!

As for ignoring fire alarms being a disciplinary offence, in my place of work it is. Our chief fire officer is a real stickler over that and will push for dismissal (on the grounds that ignoring a fire alarm puts everyone at risk).

I like your story about the students! For cabin crew training they do fill the cabin with smoke. Some airlines add extra claxons and other distractions to ensure that those who pass really can cope in an emergency. It's reassuring to know that the guys and gals in the cabin aren't just trolley-pushers.

P.S. Tried to send you a PM and couldn't, cos you're out of space!

[MissTee]

Had that happen to me. Alarm went off, me dressed and hoping it was a drill. Inside of 3 minutes fire trucks show up and staff began banging on doors to evacuate. Wig and forms came off quick, but I dashed out the door with a thick robe cover my dress, painted nails and likely at least a base coat of makeup still on. Luckily it was dark and I could fade back in the crowd, but did get a few odd looks.