In Florida, hotels are required to provide reasonably safe and secure premises. Fires are one of the many types of dangers that can occur at a hotel. Fortunately, state and federal regulations are in place to protect guests from fire hazards.
Federal law requires all hotels to have a smoke detector and a sprinkler system in each room. Failure to comply with these regulations could make a hotel liable for failing to maintain a safe and secure environment.
What Is the Hotel and Motel Fire Safety Act of 1990?
The federal law that mandates all hotels to have smoke detectors and sprinkler systems in all of the rooms is the Hotel and Motel Fire Safety Act of 1990 (HMFSA).
This law applies to any properties that provide public accommodation. According to the United States Fire Administration (USFA), it requires that they be equipped with:
- Smoke detectors that are hard-wired in each room.
- Sprinkler systems that have a sprinkler head in each room.
HMFSA makes it clear that the owners of a hotel are responsible for the safety of their guests, which means they are responsible for installing smoke detectors and sprinkler systems in their hotel.
A hotel guest should not have their life put in danger, because a hotel owner was negligent in making the premises safe. If you have been injured at a hotel because of dangerous circumstances, you may have legal recourse to recoup compensation for your injuries.
Did You Know? According to Buildings.com, on average, fire hoses use more than eight times the amount of water that sprinklers do to contain a fire.