[MarineAO]

Ron I'm a Chief Engineer for hotels and have worked in what you would consider a high-rise one 28 floor hotel and two 8 floor hotels. The hotel in California 8 floor we did not have pressurized stairwells but they were heavily exhausted with fans on the bottom blowing in and fans on the top blowing out. The doors fron the hallways were locked from inside the stairwell to the halls but freely accessable from the hall to the stairs to prevent re entry in to the halls (fire fighters were provided keys to pass through these doors). The hotels in Washington State the staires ONLY have fans on the bottom to blow fresh air into the stair well with vents only at the top and the doors are locked in a simular fashion to the ones in Cali. We have regular quarterly drill with the local FD and monthly on our own. In every building I have worked in I try and have a GREAT working relationship with the local FD cause these Guys and Gals can make a BIG DIFFERENCE if the need arises.

One other thing I have done while working on boats is go to Shipboard firefighting schools ( when one is on a boat underway there is no FD to come put a fire out it's on the crew) and I learned alot from them and try to put that knowledge to work in my hotels.

One other thing I would like to mention. If it wasn't for the Wasugale, WA fire dept I would not be here today. When I had the heart attack on Feb 2, 2005 these guys saved my ass (don't know why but they did) and I thank them every day.

Keep up the good work and THANKS AGAIN.