I don't travel far enough to need hotels these days, but this is something I think about when I go to bed at night. Whether at home, or spending the night with friends and family, house fire is a real threat.

I arrived at the school early to pick up my son a few years ago, and there was a fire drill in progress. Everyone was outside, and most of the kids seemed to be in t-shirts, and some were even in shorts. It was winter and not a particularly nice day. The teachers had nothing for the kids or themselves to protect them from the elements. In the event of a real fire, the plan is to put the kids on buses if they have to wait for parental pick-up, much like they do in hotel and nursing home fires. I asked my son's teacher if he could keep his coat and/or backpack on the back of his chair, for just such an occasion and the answer was no. Classroom clutter and blocking escape routes, yada yada yada.