So, i need some advice and some people to talk about this situation..

coolgirlspyer90

coolgirlspyer90

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Hey all, sorry it's been awhile, i've been busy with my crazy schedule.

So, I don't know where to put this thread in.. but if one of the mods are going to view this thread i'm sure they'll put it in the correct spot :p

anyways, here I go..

On March 17th-18th I was in Bowling Green kentucky for a WGI (world guard international) drumline regional. And we were kicking some butt trying to get a really good performance out of us to get a good score. We placed 4th in prelims. So, around 9pm we headed back to our hotel. We went to the hampton Inn in kentucky.

Anyways, we went to bed around 11. and I was waken up at 5:30AM by a pit dad who was in the military, and i was super confused, i thought we were late for our drumline competition. I look over to the side of my room and my roomate was gone, her bed sheets were on the floor. I immediately started to pack my clothes and my dad came into my room with the other guy, and he grabbed my CIs, and my phone and my roomate's flip flops. I was wearing my pjs still. We ran down the emergency stairs exit and as we were going down i had no clue what was going on. As soon as we got outside i see all these fire trucks parked outside in front of the hotel, including police cars too. And we went around to the back of the hotel where the rest of the drumline was. I was still confused. My dad handed me my CIS and explained to me that there was a fire going on in the building.

My dad was so mad at the hotel. He started talking to one of the volunteers of our band about this situation with me. I look at the hotel and I notice that they only have one flashing fire alarm on the 2nd floor in the hotel none in the other hallways. I got scared and i broke down because i realized that if my dad and the pit dad didn't come and get me, i would've still be sleeping in that room not knowing that there was a fire. We had some people missing too because they said that their fire system didn't sound like a fire alarm at all, to them they said it sounded like a vacuum that needed to have a motor replaced. 2 of our band parents even slept through their fire system. But I was the last person to get out. Our bus driver made our charter bus available to us to sleep in due to the hotel still being examined. I couldn't sleep at all that day. Because i was so terrified of what had happened. By 7AM we were able to go back into the hotel, and I was completely upset, completely mad, because;

1) my roomate didn't stay long enough to wake me up. I understand that she had to leave the hotel, but she kept sayings she woke me up, but If she did i would've felt something, but i didn't.

2) when we got back into the hotel, i looked in all of the hallways including my room, They only had a smoke detector 3/4 hallways. the other 3 hallways had smoke detectors and only 1 had the flashing alarms.

So, on sunday my dad decided hes going to drive me home after the regional was done. We were both tired and my dad was still completely worried about me after what had happened. And he was planning on calling their office and go off on him about this situation.

On monday my dad called the hotel and told them what had happened. They said that we should have let them know that I was deaf and they would put me on the handicapped floor and that they have mobile flashing alarms that you can get over their office but it doesn't always work. And i hated how they view me as handicapped. I don't want to be on the handicapped floor, and the band parents/ directors wants to keep all of the band members who are still minors be close together in rooms in case something happened. And when my dad was trying to tell them about how their fire system sucked, they sounded like it was not their fault at all. And that they didn't care. My dad ended up calling my uncle who also works at a hotel to see what their emergency plan was, he said that all of their staff are trained to get their guests out of the hotel first, and then making sure that everybody is out and they have updated fire systems. So after that, my dad pretty much gave up. They weren't going down the path of how serious this was. And to this day, i'm scared of going into buildings that doesn't have the flashing alarms for me to know if theres a fire or not. I refuse to go into a hotel now where there is no flashing alarms. Because i won't feel safe if they don't have it or not.
 
Lmjanes said:
Oh Wow! I would advise you to tell your dad to speak with a lawyer. I have been told that all buildings are required by law to have flashing fire alarms. It doesn't matter what room you are staying in.

Code Requirements for Fire Alarm Strobe Placement | eHow.com
Click to expand...

I can tell you right now that not all hotels have flashing fire alarms. A few weekends ago, I was staying at a hotel near Lancaster. The room that I was in had a regular fire alarm, but it was not working. There were no flashing fire alarms at all on my floor. I'm not sure whether there were flashing fire alarms at all in the entire hotel, but I walked around most of the hotel, and I didn't see any. I didn't feel safe, and I didn't sleep hardly at all that night.

I don't know what the laws are regarding flashing fire alarms. There might be a law saying that every building has to have a flashing fire alarm, but I'm not sure if there's a law which forces hotels to install flashing fire alarms in every room. I've stayed in lots of hotels, and I can only remember one hotel room where there was a flashing fire alarm - and that was a specially-requested room.

I'm afraid of fires, and I have been in situations where I almost died because I didn't hear a fire alarm go off. So I am very, very, VERY careful to make sure that there are flashing fire alarms where I am - or at least someone who will let me know what's happening and will help me get out of a burning building safely.

I second that your dad should talk to a lawyer about this.
 
I'm sorry you had a scary experience. I guess this can be a lesson for you to tell hotel staff ahead of time that you are deaf, and need appropriate accommodations. All due respect to the other posters, but a lawyer would really be a waste of money. You didn't suffer any real damages, so there is nothing to sue over. Unless you had been stuck in a flaming room, with smoke inhalation and burns (for example) it would be money down the drain. Thank goodness that didn't happen.
 
I want to get a lawyer about it. But the thing is that this happened a long time ago, and Whenever situations like this happens, my parents tries to fight but the thing is if they aren't getting the message, they stop doing it and back away from it. Plus getting a lawyer is so expensive. I don't think we can afford a lawyer right now. I mean with my interpreter situation from last year, I felt like I was the one fighting against her, and my parents are just back ups, supporting me if i needed them to say something about it. Don't get me wrong i love my parents, they fought for my needs since i was in preschool like getting an FM system, an interpreter, CC, etc. But a situation serious like this i wish we didn't give up so that we can help other deafies like me in a situation like this so this doesn't happen again.
 
But didn't you mention that you guys had not informed the hotel that you were deaf?
 
First off, I am sorry such a horrible experience happened to you. And that you carry that fear/dread with you still. Traumatic. :( I am glad you and everyone else was alright that time. Maybe you can still make a difference by emailing NAD and sharing that experience, even if some time ago now. I'll bet they are working on these kinds of issues. A way for you to do something? On your behalf for the future, and on the behalf of other deaf travelers? Just an idea... :)

Just a cynical thought... Corporations/hotels/etc. are in in the business of making complaints go away and if that means acting like they have no potential liability, just to bully the complaining person, they'll do it. Unfortunately, with all the communication hoops and doublespeak they do, it's hard to make any kind of impact. Often the "complaint dept." or the employee is taught to deflect and discourage and wear down the complainer so he/she will just give up and go away. That's what the current definition of "customer service" often turns out to be. :/

With something like that, a health & safety issue, where the local management is acting nonchalant about it all, as though it's not *their* problem or issue, I bump up the line. To their corporate office. Sending registered certified letters. Also, complaining directly to the gov't regulatory offices about their inadequate alarm systems might start an investigation that would result in them changing things and getting the alarms in place that they should have had in the first place. That may cost time, but not lawyer time. Let the gov't agencies we already pay for through taxes do their jobs in enforcing health & safety laws. Just a thought: if there are no such laws in place, maybe notifying the NAD (The National Association of the Deaf) might be useful to let them know this is like a national issue with a lot of hotels?
 
first off - glad you are ok.
second - I am sure that if your dad call the hotel and throw a fit, he can get your room reimbursed or free stay next time at any other location. I have done this before-
third - you need to contact NAD and let them know what happened. They can look into it and possibly help with lawyer part.
 
Whatever you do, please don't hit Yellow Page for lawyer. Trust me, I would think that at least 85% of lawyers from Yellow Page will have no idea of what you're talking about with hotel room fiasco. I agree with Radioman about NAD thing. They'll give you a better idea of what to do and go from there.
 
coolgirlspyer - awful experience, I know. but let's take a step back and think constructively.

You're growing up to be an independent deaf adult. all your life - you've been used to having everything taken care of by your parents and you sleep with comfort knowing that there's always a hearing person there to wake you or notify you if something's happening. what happened at your hotel... it appears that it has at least dozen of fire code violations. Your dad has already called them and complained about. if he was not satisfied by it, perhaps the next step is to call a fire department to complain about it.

Your dad and you have every rights to be very upset about this incident but I would advise both of you to cool down and not go on rampage to hold anybody responsible. I know you're probably feeling betrayed and angry because nobody in your team "bothered" to make sure you're with them outside but you have to understand that humans are just humans... meaning there will always be mistakes. It was confusing and chaotic. Nobody knows what.

Instead... you should view this as an eye-opening lesson in how to live as an independent deaf adult without relying on hearing people. You'll have to consider them as secondary or back-up so you need to rely on yourself first. In a very short time, you're going to college... and then a career... and your own place. During that time, you're going to be traveling around on your own so you'll have to know what to do.

Lessons to learn -
1. Notify hotel staff in advance about accommodation (problem is... it's not exactly deaf-friendly and flashing strobe alarm doesn't really do anything for me if I'm sleeping but there is a device that can vibrate your bed if it hears loud/certain noise)
2. Discuss with your group leader about accommodation and emergency procedure (buddy system, etc.)
3. FOLLOW UP on it!
4. FOLLOW UP on it again and make sure (sometimes they forget or misunderstood you. or sometimes they didn't know and got the wrong type of accommodation)
5. Consider getting deaf notification systems such as door knocker, signalers, etc.

I live on my own and I travel around several times a year on my own. I have to take care of it myself. So will you.
 
Just like what Jiro said above, but also you know hearing person have to do the same thing. The most important thing is to do RESEARCH about this hotel. What kind of accommodation they provided. Ask them if they have special equipment for the deaf? Some hotel do carry portable fire alarm system. Some are in fix location and reserved for deaf people. As for hearing people, they have to research if that hotel is fire safe enough, check out the quality of fire fighting dept. Out in exotic country where many fire fighting equipment are poor, so it recommended not to reserve a room anything higher than 6 floors. Most ladder truck cannot go anything higher than 6th floor! Some country don't have a ladder truck. Get the idea, hearing person have to do some research... So, it's everyone responsibility, on their own, is to do some research about this place. You just can't ignore it.

As for Coolgirlspyer, I been there and done that... yes.. It took me a while to overcome it. As I woke up, putting my short on, walking out in hall way to grab newspaper on first floor and suddenly I smell odd and one of the firefighter just came out of the apt next door saw me and he said "What are you doing here!?" My old deaf g/f was still in my room sleeping. I was just standing in the hall way..staring at the firefighter, my mind just went blank. Frozen. It's like a slow motion watching all the firefighters walking in and out of the next door apt. I mean it's an astonishment. I was very lucky that the firewall stop spreading the fire from the next door kitchen. The kitchen behind that wall is where my bedroom located. It's right next to it. Here's the kick... I have hearing roommate who share my apt temporally (I have one bedroom apt and he sleep in living room) so what he did.. he heard the fire alarm and didn't even bothered to wake us up!! I was so mad and I found him outside, I gave him a huge punch on his nose! I was screaming at him and the police hold me back. He said that he was afraid to go in seeing us naked. Yep..that is all he said....
 
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