BLT Fire Alarm in the Wee Hours of 5/1 and Member Services

[winterwhite]

Even if his response was directed to that specific portion, and that is certainly left to the reader to decide, someone is owed an explanation. I think all of us deserve an explanation. Saying that it is somehow an "entitled mentality" to demand an explanation is ridiculous. We most certainly are entitled to an explanation. We pay for it, as we do for the 24x7 management of our resort. Now that may not be popular with some people, but it remains a fact. Someone was monitoring those alarms. Somebody turned them off, and knew why they turned them off. I am a firm believer that the residents of that resort that night most certainly were entitled an explanation, and the fact that they never got one, especially that night when the alarms were turned off, is absolutely and totally unacceptable.

In over ten years of staying nearly full time in hotels all over the world, and thus experiencing more than my fair share of inhuman-hour fire alarms - I have never been told the reason for the alarm going off. Ever. If any return to the building is granted, it’s usually from the night audit person at the desk, and not the “fire inspector” or “fire marshal” or whatever other official role someone is envisioning.

the idea that I’d receive a letter thanking me for following procedure to respond to an alarm that exists solely for my own safety is indeed laughable. “Thank you for not allowing yourself to die a preventable death” is not a thank you letter I’ve ever considered to be required.

 

[MomOTwins]

Even if his response was directed to that specific portion, and that is certainly left to the reader to decide, someone is owed an explanation. I think all of us deserve an explanation. Saying that it is somehow an "entitled mentality" to demand an explanation is ridiculous. We most certainly are entitled to an explanation. We pay for it, as we do for the 24x7 management of our resort. Now that may not be popular with some people, but it remains a fact. Someone was monitoring those alarms. Somebody turned them off, and knew why they turned them off. I am a firm believer that the residents of that resort that night most certainly were entitled an explanation, and the fact that they never got one, especially that night when the alarms were turned off, is absolutely and totally unacceptable.

Unfortunately in the society we live in, no good deed goes unpunished. I remember working as a waitress for a restaurant where we had a fire from a kitchen accident. Nobody got hurt. The nice manager explained what happened to the guests after everyone was evacuated. Someone sued for “emotional distress” claiming the restaurant was negligent.

I really don’t see what an explanation serves other than satisfying idle curiosity. The alarm was turned off. Nobody was hurt. Just an ordinary inconvenience that can happen anywhere.

 

[WilsonFlyer]

In over ten years of staying nearly full time in hotels all over the world, and thus experiencing more than my fair share of inhuman-hour fire alarms - I have never been told the reason for the alarm going off. Ever. If any return to the building is granted, it’s usually from the night audit person at the desk, and not the “fire inspector” or “fire marshal” or whatever other official role someone is envisioning.

the idea that I’d receive a letter thanking me for following procedure to respond to an alarm that exists solely for my own safety is indeed laughable. “Thank you for not allowing yourself to die a preventable death” is not a thank you letter I’ve ever considered to be required.

Just to be clear, I'm not referring to a "letter." I do believe the people staying there deserved an "all clear" from a working CM or the OCFD to re-enter the building. That was what I deemed unacceptable. Nothing more and nothing less.

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

Even if his response was directed to that specific portion, and that is certainly left to the reader to decide, someone is owed an explanation. I think all of us deserve an explanation. Saying that it is somehow an "entitled mentality" to demand an explanation is ridiculous. We most certainly are entitled to an explanation. We pay for it, as we do for the 24x7 management of our resort. Now that may not be popular with some people, but it remains a fact. Someone was monitoring those alarms. Somebody turned them off, and knew why they turned them off. I am a firm believer that the residents of that resort that night most certainly were entitled an explanation, and the fact that they never got one, especially that night when the alarms were turned off, is absolutely and totally unacceptable.

It's also fine if you want an explanation to go ask at the concierge or the front desk the next day. I'd never expect a full report to be provided to one and all. OP was asking if others thought the same thing they did. As the responses outline there are those of us that have experience many a fire alarm at all kinds of hotels. With my experiences there has a been a time or two where somebody else has gotten an explanation the next day and shared it with others but for the most part Disney's actions are not that different to others. And as I've shared I've been woke up more than a handful of nights by hotel fire alarms. Never have I ever had a hotel call or send me a note to tell me what happened.

I guess here's my main point - these systems go off all the time for various reasons. IF there's actually a fire the fire dept does show up and they won't let you back in. I've stated it's reasonable to expect staff to tell you it's ok to go back in but that doesn't always happen either. Is it a fail by Disney? Perhaps. In my experience it's not a unique fail and what OP had happen is pretty similar to my evacuation experiences if the reason for the alarm is figured out and it's not a fire situation.

 

[AnnaKristoff2013]

You are overreacting and your sense of entitlement is rich. Sorry. You asked for feedback.

Disney has a job to keep you safe. They did that. They are not "required" to give you a reason why those chose to keep you safe. Yes, I agree they could have. But at 4am, they are not fully staffed as you think.

Part of living in a society is we follow rules. Like evacuating during a fire alarm. Just part of life. Do you call the fire station every time you have to pull over for a fire truck?

No, Disney should have had someone go out to the parking lot to at least give the all clear and let people know that they could reenter the building.

 

[DL1WDW2]

Sorry duplicate post.

 

[RoseGold]

I’ve been in a few fire alarms at nice hotels. I’ve always gotten an all clear from someone, usually a very quick and apologetic one.

I’m stunned you were all just standing around in the parking lot. Nobody went over to contemporary? Nobody called security? This whole thing sounds very weird to me. If nothing else, there is security staffed 24/7. If security isn’t coming to give me an all clear, I’m assuming they are still working. I’d walk to contemporary before I walked back into that building.

 

[Donna M]

I just finished reading 27 posts before I found someone asking if at least a call was made to inquire about an all clear or for more information. I would want some type of all clear before going back in.

But then again, if the issue was only on my floor, I might go in after the alarm had stopped.

 

[Mle8308]

Honestly, as a former resort CM who had to work the overnight shift for awhile, there are on average only about 8-10 people working on that shift. Two to three at the front desk/bell services, one custodial, one housekeeper/runner, maybe engineering, the security CM at the entrance gate, and depending on room service offerings, two to three there. Plus the Duty Manager, and if it is a real emergency, they are dealing directly with that. This is true for most hotels, so it is not surprising for no CM's/staff to be present, especially at a larger and more spread out property. And again, if it is a real fire/emergency, they are most likely attending to it. I don't think many people realize how thinly staffed an overnight shift is. At one high end property I worked in a major city (4.5 star with 424 rooms), there were only 3 people after 1am until 6am. That is why the alarms go off, so you know to get out without a person telling you. Some systems do have an all clear announcement, unfortunately, if you are outside you probably won't hear it. Generally, once the alarm stops, it is clear to return unless directed otherwise. Most hotels will not tell you the reason for the alarm - I could tell you stories of why many were activated.... After I left Disney and moved to another hotel company, if guests were awakened for a fire alarm, we would do courtesy voice mails the next morning to all impacted guests thanking them for their cooperation and understanding. It can definitely be an inconvenience and most of the time the alarms go off for reasons other than a fire. But you don't want to ignore them because you never know the one time it's for real.

 

[Grumpy Mouse]

What do you do if you don't wear pajamas when you sleep?

Asking for a friend.

 

[starry_solo]

What do you do if you don't wear pajamas when you sleep?

Asking for a friend.

Pull some undies on and grab a bathrobe?

 

[Judique]

In over ten years of staying nearly full time in hotels all over the world, and thus experiencing more than my fair share of inhuman-hour fire alarms - I have never been told the reason for the alarm going off. Ever. If any return to the building is granted, it’s usually from the night audit person at the desk, and not the “fire inspector” or “fire marshal” or whatever other official role someone is envisioning.

the idea that I’d receive a letter thanking me for following procedure to respond to an alarm that exists solely for my own safety is indeed laughable. “Thank you for not allowing yourself to die a preventable death” is not a thank you letter I’ve ever considered to be required.

And, in the one time that my family was evacuated from the 9th floor of a hotel by a fire alarm in the middle of the night I experienced the exact opposite.

Fire safety officials told us not to go in until they checked the entire building. Then we were given the all clear. We were also informed what the problem was.

Within a week of returning home, we received a letter apologizing for the inconvenience we experienced and a small gift certificate to a restaurant that was local to the hotel. This was unsolicited and I did not make any complaints.

Of course we returned for another weekend, confident that the hotel had our best interests. Customer service is important and was exemplified.

 

[RossK]

I think the issue here is really about the poor response from Disney at the time of the event. To me, it is truly shocking that guests were left to figure out whether the building was safe to re-enter. One would expect that on-site security would at least be dispatched to investigate. Although I have stayed in many hotels, I can recall only 2 occasions of an alarm going off overnight. In the first case, hotel staff were deployed to each floor wearing high visibility tabards to direct guests to the exits. In the second case, my room was near to reception and I was able to confirm it was a fault. I wouldn't expect Disney to deploy staff in to the building, but I would certainly expect them to manage the evacuation at the exterior.

The fact no one apparently turned up, even after 20 minutes, would suggest that the alarm was not being monitored, or some sort of fault occurred, or there is a serious issue with Disney's fire response procedures. Although I would not expect a full report from Disney - the way the Op described it, it sounds like the concerns were not really taken seriously. Second to this is - lets not forget the primary function of a hotel; to provide a place to sleep overnight. If this was a fault, I would at least expect an apology from the hotel. The main thing I am paying them for - a comfortable nights sleep - was not provided. In the example I gave above, a letter was sent to each guest apologising, and that particularly night of the stay was refunded. Again, I'm not suggesting a full night should be refunded, or that compensation in some form must be given - I do think, at the very least, an apology should have been proactively provided. It may well be, if this was a fault, Disney were blissfully unaware of the event which is why no apology was given. But I guess that is even more concerning!

 

[Chuck S]

"The fact no one apparently turned up, even after 20 minutes, would suggest that the alarm was not being monitored, or some sort of fault occurred, or there is a serious issue with Disney's fire response procedures."

I don't think this is the case, really. As far as I know, every time a fire alarm goes off in an attraction in the parks, the fire department seems to be there right away, but usually in a backstage access area. But I've had a couple minor smoke incidents in rooms, like when toast decides not to pop up, that set off the smoke alarm, not the full fire alarm, and there was no response...of course I grabbed something to fan the smoke away from the alarm to turn it off as quickly as possible.

With a full fire alarm, I would expect a fire department presence on the scene quickly to at least check it out. Once the cause was determined and cleared (which can be anything from a fault to a prank...unless there is a real fire, of course) and the alarm silenced, then I'd return to the room. In the OPs case, they and the people around them, exited to the inside of the "C" shaped building, not into the parking area where a fire department response, and perhaps a cast member, would logically be. That said, as I stated earlier in the thread, it would have been nice if a CM also went to the back side of the building to see if guests were there waiting. With 4 Reedy Creek FD stations at WDW, they should have been there in a few minutes.

 

[RoseGold]

Pull some undies on and grab a bathrobe?

Only bathrobes at VGF, and maybe not even there after Covid. I guess you get to hoof it to contemporary in a towel.

 

[RossK]

I don't think this is the case, really. As far as I know, every time a fire alarm goes off in an attraction in the parks, the fire department seems to be there right away, but usually in a backstage access area. But I've had a couple minor smoke incidents in rooms, like when toast decides not to pop up, that set off the smoke alarm, not the full fire alarm, and there was no response...of course I grabbed something to fan the smoke away from the alarm to turn it off as quickly as possible.

With a full fire alarm, I would expect a fire department presence on the scene quickly to at least check it out. Once the cause was determined and cleared (which can be anything from a fault to a prank...unless there is a real fire, of course) and the alarm silenced, then I'd return to the room. In the OPs case, they and the people around them, exited to the inside of the "C" shaped building, not into the parking area where a fire department response, and perhaps a cast member, would logically be. That said, as I stated earlier in the thread, it would have been nice if a CM also went to the back side of the building to see if guests were there waiting. With 4 Reedy Creek FD stations at WDW, they should have been there in a few minutes.

This is why you'd normally expect security to be present at the main fire exits of the building. At the end of the day, what we do know is that no cast members were present in an area where guests had exited and congregated even after 20 minutes. Alarms can stop sounding, even when the building is still unsafe to re-enter. So its pretty poor no one was around to direct guests away from the building, stop guests from re-entering, or provide instructions on where they should go. To a certain extent I can understand it if it were a cheap budget hotel with 1 night porter on. But these are massive properties and this should really be a well rehearsed slick process.

 

[RoseGold]

Alarms can stop sounding, even when the building is still unsafe to re-enter. So its pretty poor no one was around to direct guests away from the building, stop guests from re-entering, or provide instructions on where they should go. To a certain extent I can understand it if it were a cheap budget hotel with 1 night porter on. But these are massive properties and this should really be a well rehearsed slick process.

This is a 428 room "deluxe" property, next door to a 655 room "deluxe" property, next door the happiest place on earth. And there's no staff or security anywhere?

I'd be more concerned with no one there than whatever the alarm is doing. No way I'm going back in that building. Just because it's a fire alarm, doesn't mean it's a fire.

 

[DVCPAT]

"The fact no one apparently turned up, even after 20 minutes, would suggest that the alarm was not being monitored, or some sort of fault occurred, or there is a serious issue with Disney's fire response procedures."

I don't think this is the case, really. As far as I know, every time a fire alarm goes off in an attraction in the parks, the fire department seems to be there right away, but usually in a backstage access area. But I've had a couple minor smoke incidents in rooms, like when toast decides not to pop up, that set off the smoke alarm, not the full fire alarm, and there was no response...of course I grabbed something to fan the smoke away from the alarm to turn it off as quickly as possible.

With a full fire alarm, I would expect a fire department presence on the scene quickly to at least check it out. Once the cause was determined and cleared (which can be anything from a fault to a prank...unless there is a real fire, of course) and the alarm silenced, then I'd return to the room. In the OPs case, they and the people around them, exited to the inside of the "C" shaped building, not into the parking area where a fire department response, and perhaps a cast member, would logically be. That said, as I stated earlier in the thread, it would have been nice if a CM also went to the back side of the building to see if guests were there waiting. With 4 Reedy Creek FD stations at WDW, they should have been there in a few minutes.

Alarm systems are monitored 24/7 and required by law to be inspected and tested at regular intervals. Once an alarm is activated, it must be determined what activated the system. It could be a pull station, tamper sensor, water flow switch from a sprinkler head...any number of sensors will trip the system. Each sensor is monitored so they know immediately what zone tripped and where it’s located.
The monitoring company will start calling employees from a list until someone answers. The employee can then stop emergency response depending on the sensor tripped and following up with on-site personnel. If you have 3 false alarms in 12 months, emergency services will fine the building owner.
Disney was aware in the first 3-4 minutes it was a false alarm and chose not to tell guests.

 

[Shamus]

Alarm systems are monitored 24/7 and required by law to be inspected and tested at regular intervals. Once an alarm is activated, it must be determined what activated the system. It could be a pull station, tamper sensor, water flow switch from a sprinkler head...any number of sensors will trip the system. Each sensor is monitored so they know immediately what zone tripped and where it’s located.
The monitoring company will start calling employees from a list until someone answers.

I agree with what is quoted above and thank you for sharing that with the community. However I do have a few questions on the following:

The employee can then stop emergency response depending on the sensor tripped and following up with on-site personnel.

Is that true for WDW? I ask because ordinances vary by state and local municipalities. Where I live it is illegal for anyone other than the FD or licensed fire alarm tech to silence and/or reset an activated fire alarm. Thus while the employee may advise that it is not an actual emergency the FD would still need to respond.

If you have 3 false alarms in 12 months, emergency services will fine the building owner.

Again - Nuisance alarm ordinances vary by state and local municipality. Is this the ordinance for Reedy Creek?

Disney was aware in the first 3-4 minutes it was a false alarm and chose not to tell guests.

I guess you have additional information that had not yet been shared here. Care to elaborate?

 

[DVCPAT]

I agree with what is quoted above and thank you for sharing that with the community. However I do have a few questions on the following:

Is that true for WDW? I ask because ordinances vary by state and local municipalities. Where I live it is illegal for anyone other than the FD or licensed fire alarm tech to silence and/or reset an activated fire alarm. Thus while the employee may advise that it is not an actual emergency the FD would still need to respond.

Again - Nuisance alarm ordinances vary by state and local municipality. Is this the ordinance for Reedy Creek?

I guess you have additional information that had not yet been shared here. Care to elaborate?

Reedy Creek is Disney so false alarm fines don’t apply to a Disney Resort. I do believe they have to follow NFPA codes and standards so they know within minutes if they’re dealing with a false alarm.
Good luck getting a licensed fire alarm tech to your place of business at 2am. A fireman has no clue how to reset the various systems that monitor old/new buildings. It’s up to the building owner to set the procedure.
Disney doesn’t inform DVC members because some will want compensation for standing in the parking lot at 2am because of a system fault.