Fire safety master list

Definition

FEMA's lodging list for federal travel: a smoke detector in each guest room, sprinklers above three stories.

Why It Matters

A fire in a tall building of sleeping guests is the night this format fears, and federal travel money rides on the proof. States send FEMA the properties that pass a two-part test, and FEMA publishes them as a national master list. Every guest room needs a hard-wired smoke detector. A building above three stories also needs an automatic sprinkler system to the fire protection association's standard. One installed before October 25, 1992 is excused from that standard only if the rule it met put a head in each guest room's sleeping area. Agencies must book at least ninety percent of their employees' commercial room nights at listed places. Per diem rate surveys count only listed places, the federal lodging directory may not carry an unlisted one, and federal funds may not pay for a meeting at one without a waiver. So a tall building without sprinklers loses a whole segment. Ask whether the property is listed, read the government share of room nights, and price any retrofit first.