User Manual

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Siemens Switzerland Ltd
Building Technologies Division
1. Introduction
Hotel fires represent a major risk to people’s safety, the hotel property and business continuity. Statistics from the
U.S. show that a structure fire is reported by one of twelve hotels or motels every year. Between 2006 and 2010
the fire departments responded to an estimated average of 3,700 structure fires per year at hotel and motel
properties, causing annual average losses of 12 civilian deaths, 143 civilian injuries and $127 million in direct
property damage
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It is the hotel owner’s primary concern that guests enjoy their stay: but besides offering first-rate service, this also
includes ensuring maximum safety. Fire incidents not only result in financial losses, they can also severely damage
a hotel’s reputation.
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To guarantee adequate fire safety standards, national and regional directives have been established in the vast
majority of countries. Personal safety is generally regulated by laws and official requirements, while the protection
of material assets is mainly determined by the guidelines and directives drawn up by insurance companies.
Depending on the size, shape and furnishings of a hotel – as well as the national and regional directives of a
country – different solutions are appropriate. Special attention should be given to critical areas where many
people are present and areas with significant deceptive phenomena, heat sources and large fire loads such as
guest rooms, kitchens, laundries, plant rooms, etc.
For maximum protection, a comprehensive fire safety system is needed to ensure personal safety and damage
mitigation in case of fire. The cornerstone of such a system is a fire detection system that guarantees earliest and
most reliable fire detection and activates the alarm devices and the relevant fire safety controls.
The goal is to protect people and property as effectively as possible and to minimize any operational interruptions
and loss of customer base. Fire safety is therefore a long-term investment that must be carefully planned to
ensure the continued success of the hotel.
1.1. Fire hazards in hotels
Hotels are more than simply utility buildings. Large hotel complexes with their heating and air conditioning
systems, ancillary buildings, workshops, IT infrastructure and employee living quarters can, however, easily be
compared to modern industrial facilities, as the surrounding infrastructure has many similarities.
The 'population' of a hotel cannot only be considered in terms of guests and employees, but must include people
in conference rooms and function rooms, visitors and patrons of bars, discos and restaurants. The hotel
management carries a very high responsibility for the safety of all.
The risk for human lives and property are high in hotel buildings, due to the heavy concentration of people and
valuables, and to the often combustible interior furnishings and fittings. These risks, however, can be drastically
reduced by taking appropriate fire protection measures.
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NFPA, U.S. Hotel and Motels Structure Fires