Whenever I hear a fire alarm activated at a hotel property, it is typically either a false alarm or a required drill — but this hotel fire alarm was NOT a drill this morning, Sunday, May 4, 2025.
This Hotel Fire Alarm Was NOT a Drill…
Not long before 9:30 this morning, I was contemplating taking a shower — when shrilling noises pierced the once-calm air inside and outside of the hotel property. I immediately dressed as quickly as possible and left my room to go outside and assess the situation during the cool but brilliantly sunny morning.
I thankfully saw no smoke or fire; but seven vehicles with at least seven employees arrived at the scene within minutes to get guests out of their rooms while simultaneously investigating what had happened.
The cause of the activation of the fire alarm was from a guest in the room next door to my room, as he was overheard telling one of the maintenance people: “I was making potatoes like I make at home. I went to the bathroom; and when I came back, it was KABOOM!” Each unit of the hotel property is equipped with a complete kitchen.
I have to admit that the members of the maintenance staff who arrived on the scene were quick, thorough, and put the safety of the guests first. They checked every unit and service room of the building to ensure that all guests were evacuated and that no other areas of the building were potential problems.
This incident occurred at the Holiday Inn Club Vacations Holiday Hills Resort Branson property, of which I intend to write an article about my experience in the future.
Final Boarding Call
Everyone at the hotel property was fortunate in at least five ways:
- The fire alarm worked as intended
- No injuries occurred
- No fatalities occurred
- No property was damaged or destroyed
- The weather was almost perfect and not inclement
One valuable lesson should be learned here: never leave a fire unattended — not even for a minute — as the result could have been substantially worse…
All photographs ©2025 by Brian Cohen.
