For Joseph Campbell, just another night in a hotel became the most frightening experience of his life.
On Dec. 29, Campbell, associate professor of philosophy, checked into the Wardman Park Marriott in Washington, D.C. with plans to attend a conference and interview candidates for two open faculty positions in his department the next day.
“A loud alarm sounded at about 4:30 a.m.,” he said. “I was jet-lagged and disoriented, and then I heard a loudspeaker: ‘The hotel is on fire, go to an exit.’ That woke me up!
“I got up and got dressed and opened my door. The hall was filled with black smoke. People were panicked, running. I had no idea where the exit was, and I was on the seventh floor. So, I just turned away from the smoke, looking for some stairs. Luckily, I did find the stairs and made it outside.
“We all stayed outside while the firemen checked out the building. Luckily, no one was hurt badly.”
At about 7:30 a.m. they let us back into our rooms. There was some water damage in the rooms, but my personal stuff was OK.
“The smoke was so thick and smelled so horrible. I was worried about what I had breathed. I was coughing up this black stuff for days.
“That moment when I opened the door and entered the hallway filled with smoke, and realized I was on the seventh floor, was the scariest thing that ever happened to me,” Campbell said. “It will be a long while before I feel comfortable in a hotel again.”
Campbell learned some things that other WSU travelers might consider:
*Protect yourself from the toxic smoke. Remember to take a wet washcloth to cover your nose as you breathe.
*Note where all the exits are and study the exit map on the back of the hotel room door, which most of us ignore.
*If there’s time, dress before leaving your room. “It turned out to be a good choice,” Campbell said. “Many other patrons were shivering in their robes or pajamas as they waited outside.”
