Two weeks ago I took a trip Tunica Mississippi for the weekend to visit the casinos there. On Friday afternoon something happened that really amazed me. I was playing video poker at Sam's Town casino where I was staying when the smoke alarm went off. There were flashing lights and a very loud beeping of the alarm which I could clearly hear. I immediately hit the button to cash out. I grabbed my voucher from the machine and headed for the nearest exit. There were only about a dozen or so people who joined me outside. The rest of the people just kept on playing as if nothing was happening. Apparently, they all just assumed that it was a false alarm and didn't feel a need to take it seriously.

Earlier this year there were two casino fires within a week of each other. One was at the Monte Carlo in Las Vegas, the other was at Foxwoods in Connecticut and both were reported on the national news. For this reason alone I was surprised that more people did not take the fire alarm seriously. Apparently most of the other people just felt it was too inconvenient to get up and go outside when the alarm went off. Instead of playing it safe they decided to gamble with their lives. Although it proved to be a false alarm this time there could've been serious consequences if it had been an actual fire. Fire alarms should always be taken seriously and you should leave the building immediately if you hear one going off! If it proves to be a false alarm you have only given up a few minutes of your time but if there is an actual fire and you don't heed the alarm you may be giving up your life.

Fires can happen anywhere and everyone should be familiar with fire safety and what to do in case of an emergency. Many fires happen in hotels and anyone who stays in a hotel should take a few minutes when they check into their room go over and evacuation route in case of a fire. Here are some fire safety tips that could save your life.