Category: Hotels

The Holidays Are Coming: Time to Ramp up Hotel Fire Safety

Posted on

The holiday season brings in new guests and added revenue. There is no better time to impress new guests with your hotel amenities. But with crammed schedules and sold out rooms, it’s easy to become preoccupied with perfecting the guest experience and less time spent preparing your staff for emergencies.

Fires occur when you least expect them. Any member of your staff who doesn’t know what to do in the case of a fire is a liability. They not only put themselves at risk, but they also become a hazard for guests and other staff.

During the holiday season, these risks increase with added distractions, increased guests and additional personnel.

Hotel Managers would be prudent to review drills and emergency procedures ahead of the Christmas rush with both new and seasoned employees. Make sure all personnel are comfortable with fire safety protocols.

Proper training is much more than knowing the location of exits; it includes understanding how to keep guests safe and knowing how to handle fire protection equipment.

Are your Staff Fire Safety Savvy?

Do they know:

1)   The location of all fire extinguishers and how to operate them?

2)   Where and how to direct guests out of the hotel – While keeping them calm?

3)   The location and operation of a fire sprinkler shut off device in the case of accidental fire sprinkler activation?

4)   How to handle guests that have mobility concerns and/or are distressed in an emergency?

5)   Techniques to assist and communicate with non-English speaking guests

6)   How to keep your guests fire safe when they are unable to leave the building?

Fire prevention and safety needs to be a collaborative effort. Ensuring that your staff is familiar with these and other safety procedures can help minimize the risks.

Accommodating Beauty: Why Hotel Owners Love Shutgun

Posted on

No, we’re not saying that our product is pretty – it’s yellow, effective and necessary! When it comes to fire safety, luxury hotel designers are steering away from imposing safety features like the traditional red exit signs and exposed fire sprinkler heads are opting for safety products that support their luxury experience, carefully selecting products like edge-lit signs and recessed sprinkler head models which blend more seamlessly with the design of the hotel.

Shutgun has had to respond to this need by adapting our sprinkler shut off tool models.

Many high-end hotel chains are converting their semi-recessed sprinkler head systems to the concealed models as these heads provide the needed function to extinguish potential fires while seamlessly melding into the décor.

The Shutgun is a one-handed tool that immediately stops the flow of water from an activated fire sprinkler head. We have created a tool specifically for concealed sprinkler heads, ensuring not only the protection of the hotel from water damage, but that hoteliers will not have to sacrifice safety for beauty.

Concealed sprinkler heads offer hoteliers protection for both their guests and the property and blend seamlessly into the décor. But while the aesthetics of recessed sprinkler head models are safe – the concealed nature of them makes it harder to shut off in cases of accidental activation.

The concealed head Shutgun is equipped with a longer probe that can reach the opening of the water source recessed inside the sprinkler head. The end result: hoteliers can still provide the optimal luxury experience while keeping safety top of mind.

Safety features have come a long way from the obtrusive products in the past.  Shutgun is happy to be on the leading edge!

Shutgun and Greg Patterson will be exhibiting at the HX: Hotel Experience  trade show from November 8 to 10 at booth #2524a!

Shutgun’s #OneOnEveryFloor campaign

Posted on

We’re very thrilled, for a couple of reasons, to be heading to Hawaii later this week in order to not only exhibit at the Hawaii Lodging Hospitality and Food Service Expo on July 9 and 10 (Booth 219) but to take time and visit with as many of our valued hotel clients as possible.

We will be promoting our #OneOnEveryFloor campaign in order to bring awareness to the cost and time saving benefits of having multiple Shutguns accessible on your hotel or resort property.

By having one Shutgun tool on every floor of your hotel, you will eliminate time wasted in retrieving your sprinkler shut off tool – thereby minimizing potential water damage to your resort or hotel rooms.

We will also be taking some time to walk through the hotels Fire Sprinkler Emergency Procedure as well as update managers on our recent additions to the Shutgun.

“These tips will not only save time and avoid stress in an emergency, but makes economic sense for the hotel as well.”

Shutgun will also be launching a new tool for concealed fire sprinkler heads this year, increasing the likelihood that you will be able to shut off an accidental activation on any concealed sprinkler model in your hotel.

Shutgun will be exhibiting at BOOTH #219 on Wed July 9 and Thurs 10th at the Hawaii Lodging Hospitality and Food Service Expo in Honolulu. For information visit #OneOnEveryFloor 

A Case for Water Protection Kits and Staff Sprinkler Training

Posted on

Recently, Shutgun chatted with Thomas Riegelman, VP of Engineering and Facilities Management for White Lodging properties about his experience in placing the Shutgun Water Protection Kit into over 170 of his properties.

Like any property owner in the hotel or lodging industry, Thomas has had his run-ins with sprinkler mishaps, most often due to brides and grooms using it as a garment hanger.

But what struck us was the emphasis that Thomas put on training his staff in cases of sprinkler emergencies.  The decision to purchase the water protection kit was one of pure necessity.

All of White Lodging Shutgun sprinkler shut off tools are placed next to the main fire panel box, so if a sprinkler is set off, the closest staff member can view the panel, grab the water protection gear and go investigate. They also ensure that each staff member is trained in how to use the Shutgun tool as well as procedures to follow.

After all, shouldn’t it be standard as part of facility management training for all front desk and night shift staff?

For many smaller properties, staffing during off hours is limited, sometimes just one person.  Having not only the proper tools, but the proper protection gear would allow them to feel more confident in investigating these types of sprinkler related incidences.  

The Shutgun Team

Case Study: Tulalip Resort & Casino

Posted on

The following are exerpts from an interview with Samueal Askew, General Manager, Tulalip Resort & Casino Tulalip, WA.

How Shutgun Saved a Housekeeping Sprinkler Blunder


How did you hear about Shutgun? 
I was introduced to Shutgun at the IHMRS Show in NYC in 2012.  I was really impressed by the product itself,  the
presentation of the materials, and the service.  My purchase was made
then.
How many Shutguns have you purchased?
24 units total.

What was the decision behind your purchase? 
The quality of the Shutgun is extremely high -Well made.  It’s
also easy to use and requires little to no training to respond to an
emergency.  But the greatest decision point was the fact
that it contained a fusible link so that if it is used in an emergency, the
sprinkler system will in turn still function if there is another incident.

How have you found the Shutgun useful to date? Absolutely!  We had new
housekeeping associate dusting in and around the laundry room and broke a
sprinkler head.  The Shutgun was quickly at hand and saved us from many
many hours of cleanup, work, and of course limited damage to the facility.

What was the best feature for you in using Shutgun?  Aside from the Fusible Link, the fact that ANYONE
can use it at ANY TIME means that our team members can respond to a situation
at a moments notice.  The local fire depart loves them and are placing
orders too!