This is an interesting article. As we are in the process of trying to
educate our students on the importance of early warning fire detection and
timley evacuation, I come across this piece of news......



President Clinton Evacuated From Hotel, Fire in Laundry
February 25, 2000 4:23 pm EST

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Clinton was evacuated from a Washington
hotel along with about 800 people attending a business awards ceremony on
Friday after a small fire broke out in the laundry room.

Clinton joked about the buzzing that began just as he started speaking at
the event in a hotel ballroom on the eighth floor of the Marriott Wardman
Park Hotel.

But when three fire officials entered the room, the Secret Service decided
to evacuate the president and others.

Clinton was escorted outside, got in his limousine and left the hotel in his
motorcade for the White House.

A spokeswoman for the D.C. Fire Department said there was a small fire in
the laundry room, and firefighters could see some light smoke when they
arrived at the scene.

White House spokesman Jim Kennedy, who accompanied the president, said
Clinton was calm as he was taken out of the building.

"We walked briskly to an exit," he said. "He was very calm. We went out
through an alternative exit."

The fire alarm first started while Secretary of Commerce William Daley was
speaking but stopped for a few minutes before Clinton started to speak.

The president spoke through the fire alarm for a few minutes, apparently
expecting the buzz to stop.

"Somebody tell me what the deal is. Is it a fire alarm? Are we supposed to
leave? Not yet ... that's not an encouraging answer," Clinton said to
laughter.

"What I can't figure out is why Daley got it to stop and I can't," Clinton
said as the alarm droned on.

The president, who was presenting the 1999 Malcolm Baldrige National Quality
Awards in recognition of achievements in quality and business performance --
one of which was awarded to the Ritz-Carlton Hotel -- even joked that the
annoying buzz was a reason the Marriott was not receiving an award.

"The Marriott is not a candidate for the Baldridge Award," he said, possibly
not realizing the Ritz-Carlton was an independently operated division of
Marriott.

Still not aware that the fire alarm was for real, Clinton decided to get on
with his speech.

"Unless somebody starts singing 'Smoke gets in your eyes' we may just start
and go on," he said.

A few moments after he began his speech he broke away to say: "They're
coming to get us. It really is a fire alarm. ... Thank you."






___________________________________________________
Randall L. Hormann              [log in to unmask]
Miami University                6 Hughes Hall (EHSO)
Fire/Safety Specialist          Oxford, Ohio 45056
Fire Safety Inspector           Office: 513-529-2461
http://www.ehs.muohio.edu/      Fax:    513-529-2830
Page me Via  E-Mail:  [log in to unmask]

State:  Fire Safety Inspector - Instructor (Ohio)
Chair:  International Assoc. of Campus Fire Safety Officials
Member: Ohio Fire Chiefs Assoc., Fire Code Committee.
Member: Ohio Fire Officials Association.
Advisor:Sigma Alpha Epsilon - Fraternity.
Advisor:Alpha Lambda Delta/Phi Eta Sigma - National Honor Society.

___________________________________________________