675 U. S. Courthouse

Nashville, Tennessee 37203

615/277-2531

www.tn.nrcs.usda.gov

Message from the State Conservationist

Inside This Issue....

Developments

Helping People Help the Land

Page

Current

Winter Issue - January 2009 

Brown Attends Partners Meeting 5

Davidson County SCD Hosts

 Field Day 6

Earth Team Awards 4

Grazing for Profit Conference 11

Hotel Safety 12

Houston County Landowners 

 Benefit from NRCS Programs 5

Jason Luckey of Gibson County

 Recieves 2009 Delta High Cotton

 Award 11

John R Freels Memoriam 5

Kevin Brown Named Tennessee

 Tech Alumnus of the Year 3

Kurios Farm Project 10

Retirees - Tom Beasley, Linda

 Bierley, Paul Bluhm 8

Retirees - Louis Boyd, James

 Brown, Randy Parnell 9

SEDCEA Conference 11

Shelby County Hosts 12th Annual

 Farm Education Day 4

Tommy Hunt Memoriam 2

Wiley Scott Retires wtih 50 

 Years of Service 3

Now that we are fully into a new year, I think it is important to take a look back at all 

we have accomplished in 2008 to put conservation on the private lands of 

Tennessee. Here are just a few of the obstacles you overcame:

• Budget deficit through ten months of the fiscal year.

• EQIP signup and ranking during Christmas 2007.

• Continuing resolutions throughout the year, some only for a period of two weeks at a time.

• Reduced vital staff with more work to get done.

• Ongoing contract cleanup.

• A new farm bill that took 27 actions by Congress and the President to get it passed.

• Additional EQIP, WHIP, and WRP funds to obligate.

• Realignment of areas.

• Goals, goals, goals.

• Tornadoes and droughts.

But through it all, you helped obligate more conservation program dollars, made more payments to producers, and put more conservation on the ground than ever before in Tennessee 

NRCS history.

When we started FY09 we thought that there would be a chance to catch-up, but then the 

great NRCS Open Obligation Audit hit like an ice storm bringing all of our other services to a 

screeching halt. We all knew that this needed to be done, but of course the timing was terrible. 

However, the worst thing that could happen is for us to go through this audit process and not 

learn something. This will be an ongoing effort, but there are ways we will deal with the issues 

and get more money for conservation on the ground. Some of the solutions will be to:

1. Shorten the lifespan of the contracts.

2. Bring the cost share rate for EQIP to 75%.

3. Have the landowner prepared to apply the practices as soon as the contract is signed. 

 (Have all permits, designs, etc. ready before the contract is signed.)

4. Finally, we need to do clearly communicate the program responsibilities of the

 landowner to them before they sign the contract, especially the Appendix.

Throughout the year each of you took on your responsibility and even offered to help out 

others. You put $40 million of conservation on the land. Our partnerships with Soil Conservation Districts, RC&D Councils, and Tennessee Department of Agriculture were strengthened.

We experienced tragedy in the past year as well. The death of Tommy Hunt was a shock, 

and his friends and colleagues in the State Office and around the state will mourn the loss 

for years to come. Please continue to remember his family in your thoughts and prayers.

We made progress, whether experiencing joy, sadness, success, or difficult challenges. I want 

each of you to know you have my appreciation for a job well done. I thoroughly enjoy going 

out to our offices and seeing our people proudly wearing our NRCS logo. That raindrop and 

keeping it close to where it falls on the earth symbolizes everything we do. For all the hard 

work that you did this year for our customers, the land, and NRCS, I am grateful.

Kevin
- 2 - Helping People Help the Land

Current Developments
Current Developments

- 3 - Helping People Help the Land

State Conservationist Kevin Brown has been named the 

Tennessee Tech Alumni Association’s 2009 College of 

Agriculture and Human Services Alumnus of the Year. 

The award is given annually to individuals who have 

established themselves at the top of their professions and in 

their communities and who have brought honor and pride 

to the University and their College. He will be honored 

in February along with the other College Alumnus of the 

Year recipients at a ceremony at the Leslie Town Centre 

in Cookeville. Last year the Tennessee Tech College of 

Agriculture and Human Services named NRCS Associate 

Chief Dana York as the 2008 Alumnus of the Year.

Kevin Brown Named Tennessee Tech Alumni 

Association’s 2009 College of Agriculture and 

Human Services Alumnus of the Year

Wiley B. Scott Retires After 50 Years with the 

Agency

Wiley Scott began working for the NRCS (then the Soil 

Conservation Service) on November 17, 1958. He was 

fresh out of Auburn University where he received a 

degree in agricultural engineering. The north Alabama 

native began his work as a roving survey party leader at 

the Jackson, Tennessee area office. A year later he came 

to the State Office in Nashville where he was been a vital 

and enthusiastic presence for the past 49 years. 

Over the course of the past five decades, Wiley became 

Tennessee’s foremost expert on dam construction and 

maintenance. He is the ‘go-to’ guy when other engineers 

are having difficulty with a problem design or project. “I 

have a knack for solving problems,” Wiley says. “I’ve 

always enjoyed picking up the newest technology and 

systematically finding solutions.”

The 72-year old Wiley says his job changed dramatically 

in the past half-century. “Hydraulics for an average 

dam used to take two to three weeks. These days with a 

computer I can do a half-dozen of them in a couple of 

days.” Wiley kept a file for every dam he’s ever worked 

on, and he keeps a handwritten table of the projects 

dating back to 1958.

One of those projects would have led to catastrophe 

without Wiley’s quick thinking and persuasive 

techniques. Several years ago, heavy rains in west 

Tennessee resulted in a dam break. Another dam was 

about to break, but Wiley was on the scene and got a 

backhoe to the site. However, the equipment operator 

said the water was running too fast and he couldn’t do 

anything to help. Wiley quickly devised a plan to build 

a horse-shoe shaped dyke around the break causing the 

water to slow down in the newly formed gulley. That held 

the flooding back and allowed engineers to fix the break. 

Wiley’s knowledge of the hydraulics of the spillway 

stopped the flood in its tracks.

Wiley, who has worked for six State Conservationists, 

says his longevity in the agency is due to a history of 

good relationships with his supervisors and an ongoing 

love of his work. “I set a goal of 50 years when I started, 

and I guess I’ve stuck to the goal. I get a lot of diversity 

in my job—it’s different every day. A lot of people 

just look at it as a job, but I look at it as improving the 

environment. Unless you have that goal in mind, it is just 

a job.” 

Photo above: Wiley Scott’s wife and daughter watch as he accepts 

an award from State Engineer Robert Anderson at his retirement 

party in December. Wiley was with SCS/NRCS for 50 years. 

Below: Wiley Scott displays his handwritten table of engineer 

projects going back to 1958.
- 4 - 

Current Developments

Helping People Help the Land

Shelby County Hosts 12th 

Annual Farm Education Day

Nearly 700 attendees took part in 

Shelby County’s 12th annual Farm 

Ed Day on November 7, 2008. 

Farm Education Day’s purpose is 

to teach students and teachers about 

agriculture. This activity is directed 

to the local urban fifth grade audience. 

A total of 513 students and 36 

teachers/parents attended with 93 

volunteers/exhibitors making a grand 

total attendance of 687 participating 

in this event. There were 8 Memphis 

City/Shelby County schools involved 

in this year’s event. 

The students and teachers received 

educational packets providing even 

more information about agriculture 

and its importance to society 

worldwide. Upon arrival, the students 

had class pictures made and then 

viewed 16 exhibits featuring corn, 

cotton, soybeans, honey bees, fish, 

forestry, safety and farm equipment 

and real live animals on site. 

The Shelby County Soil Conservation 

District and the Memphis NRCS 

Field Office serve on the steering 

committee and sponsored this event 

from its conception.

Photo above: The Produce Exhibit with Juanita Jones of Jones Orchard demonstrating to 

Shelby County 5th graders.

Photo above: John Charles Wilson, Chairman of the Shelby County District, staffed 

the Farm Equipment and Safety Exhibit and talked with the students/teachers about the 

importance of agriculture.

During 2008, over 60 percent 

of NRCS offices utilized the 

assistance of over 31,000 Earth 

Team volunteers who donated over 

812,000 hours of service nationwide. 

Employers, partners and volunteers all 

deserve recognition for these valuable 

contributions. 

Congratulations to the FY 2008 TN 

Earth Team Award Winners:

Group Volunteer Award - Progressive Agriculture Safety Day Committee, 

Livingston, TN

Individual Volunteer Award - Tom Pointer, Cookeville, TN

RC&D/NRCS Award - Hull-York Lakeland RC&D, Cookeville, TN

NRCS Employee Award - Todd Reed, Knoxville, TN

These awards will be presented at the TACD Annual Convention in March 2009.

2008 Earth Team Awards
- 5 - 

Current Developments

Helping People Help the Land

Kevin Brown and Tennessee State Forester Steve Scott visit at 

the Partners of the Cherokee National Forest annual meeting. 

Brown Attends Partners Annual Meeting

The Partners of the Cherokee National Forest, a nonprofit 

501 (c) (3) organization whose purpose is to provide support 

for multiple-use forest management projects and activities in 

the Cherokee National Forest, held their annual meeting and 

fundraiser in November. Approximately 120 people attended 

the Hemlock Special event raising close to $10,000 to assist 

in fighting the Hemlock Wooly Adelgid. 

Kevin Brown and other agency leaders presented a synopsis 

of their agency activities. Others attending included Ken 

Arney, Deputy Regional Forester, Southern Region of 

USDA Forest Service; Steve Scott, State Forester, Tennessee 

Division of Forestry; Gary Myers, Director of Tennessee 

Wildlife Resources Agency; Tom Speaks, Forest Supervisor, 

Cherokee National Forest; and Dr. Keith Belli, Department 

Head of Forestry, Wildlife and Fisheries, UT Knoxville. 

Other key guests were Rusty Rhea, Forest Entomologist, 

USDA, Forest Service and Dr. Pat Parkman, Department of 

Entomology and Plant Pathology, UT Knoxville. 

Moore Farm Benefits from NRCS Programs

Donna Moore and her husband Lewis operate a small 

cattle farm in Houston County. Donna and Lewis raise 

kids and cows, along with a few chickens on their 

property.

Since 2006, the Moores have worked with NRCS 

to make farm improvements and increase grazing 

efficiency. NRCS worked with the Moores to implement 

a new watering facility and heavy use area for the cattle. 

The water source for the watering facility is a previously 

abandoned well, now providing the cattle’s water needs. 

Before installation, the Moores were using city water 

for the cattle. Now, the Moores’ water bill has been 

lowered as a result of the new water source. This is just 

one example of how NRCS programs assist Tennessee 

farmers every day.

John R. Freels, Jr., age 65 of Oneida, passed away Tuesday, 

January 6, 2009 at the Methodist Medical Center in Oak 

Ridge. 

John was a 1966 Graduate of Tennessee Tech. He worked 

for NRCS in Oneida until his retirement in 1993. He 

enjoyed hunting and being around his family and friends 

and especially his grandkids. 

He is survived by his children: Katrina Gayle Hurtt and 

husband, Trevor Glenn Hurtt; Joseph Ryan Freels and 

wife, Alice Marie Shannon Freels; and Jason Freels; his 

grandchildren Haley Hannah and Hayden Hurtt, and John 

and Shannon Freels; father, John Russell Freels; brother, 

James Alan Freels; sister, Janice Kay Robbins and husband, 

Cordell; and a host of nieces and nephews.

John R Freels, Jr.

1941-2006
Current Developments

- 6 - Helping People Help the 

The Davidson County Soil Conservation District hosted a field 

day at the Hermitage, Home of Andrew Jackson. Over 100 

attendees had the opoprtunity to view Best Management Practices constructed for erosion control and water quality. 

Andrew Jackson would be proud to see how George McDonald, Davidson Co. Conservation Farmer of the Year is producing high yield row crops on the Hermitage grounds. McDonald 

demonstrated the use of his spray equipment for pesticide 

application and spoke about variable rate technology, auto-steer 

equipment and other tools of precision agriculture. 

The cropland on the Hermitage farm had suffered over the 

years and many of the fields were overgrown and the pH was 

very low. After gaining the lease on the property, George stated, 

“I’m honored to be able to farm this land. I want to leave my 

imprint.” Now, a year later with good conservation practices 

in place, he has done just that. It is amazing to see what he has 

accomplished on the 377 acres of cropland.

At the next stop, Russ Scoglan, TN Wildlife Resources Agency 

Manager, presented information on the 5 acre warm season 

grass field border planted for wildlife and erosion control. 

Engineer Ralph Smith and District Conservationist Carolyn 

Dillard presented information about the grassed waterway 

construction and establishment. The 5 acre waterway project 

implemented by McDonald filters sediment and improves the 

quality of the water runoff downstream. 

NRCS Grazing Land Specialist Greg Brann presented information on the rotational grazing system implemented by the 

Hermitage site director, Raymond Johnson. Practices included 

watering troughs, fence for rotational grazing and use exclusion, limited access, prescribed grazing and a warm season 

grass border. These practices were implemented for the belted 

Galloway cattle and the two donkeys that inhabit the farm. 

After the tours, guests had a chance to view the many educational booths. Exhibits included: TN Ag Enhancements, TN 

Wildlife Resources Agency, Metro Water Dept., U.T. Extension 

Master Gardeners and Pesticide Lab, TN Farm Bureau, Land 

Trust of TN, Beef Council, TN Dept. of Agriculture, Cumberland River Compact, Century Farms, Davidson County SCD 

and the Natural Resources Conservation Service. 

John Leeman, Chairman of the Davidson SCD welcomed 

the group to the luncheon and introduced special guests 

 (cont’d on page 7)

Photo above: George McDonald and Raymond Johnson talk 

about precision agriculture with the group. 

Photo above: Kevin Brown provides an update on NRCS.

Davidson County SCD Hosts Field Day at the Hermitage
- 7 -

Current Developments

Helping People Help the Land

including speakers Kevin Brown, NRCS State Conservationist; 

Jim Nance, TDA Ag Resource Program Director; and Justin 

Bryant, Ag Enhancement Program. The Educational Award was 

presented to Chris Speigal, Montgomery Bell Academy. Chris 

has taught environmental science to his ecology classes which 

have excelled in the Envirothon competition for the last six 

years placing 1st or 2nd every year in the statewide competition. 

A plaque was awarded to the Hermitage Association honoring Jeffrey Hunter, Vice President of Operations and Raymond 

Johnson for their conservation efforts on the Hermitage farm.

The Conservation Farmer of the Year was awarded to George 

McDonald for conservation practices applied at the Hermitage.

Karen Guy, full time farmer and owner of Hunter’s Hill Farm 

was presented with the Outstanding Conservation Farmer award 

for her commitment to conservation. In a permanent agreement 

with the Land Trust of TN, Guy placed 147 acres of her farm in 

a conservation easement protecting it from future development, 

ensuring that it will remain in agricultural production.

A partnership between the Hermitage, Natural Resources 

Conservation Service (NRCS), Davidson Co. Soil Conservation District, TN Dept. of Agriculture (TDA), and Farm Service Agency (FSA) made this project a success. The Natural 

Resources Conservation Service provided cost share and 

technical assistance through the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) for practices such as precision agriculture, prescribed grazing, limited access, pipeline and watering 

troughs. The Farm Service Agency provided cost share assistance through the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) for the 

Grassed Waterway and the Warm Season Grass Field Borders. 

The TN Dept. of Agriculture provided additional cost share 

assistance and information and educational assistance with the 

program. The Davidson County SCD planned and organized 

the event and provided assistance as needed.

Photo above: Karen Guy, owner of Hunter’s Hill Farm, and 

Carolyn Dillard, NRCS District Canservationist, answer 

questions from the group.

Photo above: John Leeman, Chairman, Davidson County 

SCD, welcomed the group to the luncheon.

Photo above: Greg Brann, NRCS Grazing Land Specialiwt, 

presented information of the grazing system implemented by 

Raymond Johnson, Hermitage Site Director.

Davidson County SCD Hosts Field Day (Continued)

Mark Your Calendar for the

65th Annual TACD Convention

March 1 - 3, 2009

Holiday Inn

Johnson City, Tennessee
- 8 - 

Current Developments

Helping People Help the Land

Thomas E. Beasley, an 

Agricultural Engineer at 

the Union City Field Office 

retired on August 30, 2008 after 40 

years of service. 

Tom began his career with SCS in 

1967 as an Engineering Trainee in 

Sevier Co. After completing his 

degree from UT Knoxville in 1969 

he worked full-time in the Knox 

and Union Co. Field Offices. Tom 

returned to West TN in 1970 to 

work in the Project Office located in 

Dresden, TN. After serving in several 

different locations in the Jackson 

Area, Tom went to the Columbia 

Area in 1987 as Area Engineer. In 

1992 Tom once again came back 

to West TN and worked as GR on 

several projects. During his career 

he worked on many EWP projects in 

state and outside of TN. 

We wish Tom the best in his 

retirement years.

Linda J. Bierley, a Soil 

Conservation Technician at 

the Athens Field Office retired 

January 3, 2009 after 28 years of 

service. 

District Conservationist Bill Dailey 

says Linda always excelled in her 

work. “Linda enjoyed working 

with farmers in Meigs and McMinn 

Counties and the SCD boards helping 

them solve resource concerns,” 

Dailey said. “She particularly 

enjoyed working with young 

people at farm field days to discuss 

agriculture and conservation with 

them.” 

Linda is looking forward to finishing 

some remodeling on her home with 

her husband Roy and spending more 

time with her grandsons.

Paul F. Bluhm, a Civil 

Engineer at the State Office in 

Nashville, retired on August 3, 

2008 after 32 years of service. 

State Engineer Robert Anderson says 

he’ll miss working with Paul. 

“Paul brought to us from the 

CORP experience in geotechnical 

engineering which helped us 

expedite dam rehabilitation efforts. 

Without Paul, our in-house technical 

ability to fully evaluate dams will be 

hampered as we adjust and make do. 

Paul’s technical ability with major 

structures will be missed. “ 

Paul is looking forward to having 

more time with his wife and children. 

NRCS Employees Retire

Thomas E. Beasley, Agricultural 

Engineer Retires with 40 Years 

of Service

Linda J. Bierley, Soil Conservation

Technician Retires with 28 Years of 

Service 

Paul F. Bluhm, Civil Engineer, 

Retires with 32 Years of Service
Current Developments

- 9 - 

Louis C. Boyd, District 

Conservationist in the 

Clarksville Field Office, 

retired January 3, 2009 after 32 years 

of service. 

He began his career with NRCS in 

1977 as a Soil Conservationist in 

Franklin County SCS Field Office 

in Winchester, Tennessee. Louis 

became District Conservationist 

in Trousdale County in 1987 after 

working several years as a soil 

conservationist in Cookeville. 

He worked five years as Overton 

County’s DC before transferring 

to the Clarksville Field Office in 

1997 where he has remained until 

retirement. 

Area Conservationist Mike 

Hart says, “I appreciate Louis’ 

commitment to the NRCS mission 

and his ability to get things done at 

the local level. He will be missed.” 

J

ames G. Brown, District 

Conservationist in the 

Springfield Field Office, retired 

January 3, 2009 after 36-1/2 years of 

service.

He began his career with NRCS in 

1973 as a Soil Conservationist in 

Hardeman, Tennessee.He transferred 

to Fayette County in 1982 and 

to Lewis County one year later. 

In 1986, James became District 

Conservationist in Robertson County 

where he worked 22 years before his 

retirement. 

Area Conservationist Mike 

Hart says, We will miss James’ 

dedication,his non-waning support 

of the conservation mission, and his 

ability to build partnerships”. 

Randy Parnell, the District 

Conservationist in the 

Pikeville Field Office, retired 

from NRCS effective January 3, 

2009, after more than 32 years of 

federal service. 

He began his career as a Student 

Trainee in the Greeneville Field 

Office in 1974 and Shelbyville Field 

Office in 1975. Randy was hired by 

NRCS full-time in Brownsville in 

1976. He was reassigned to Pikeville 

in October 1977 and has held that 

position until the present time. 

Area 3 Conservationist Charles 

Roberts says everyone will miss him. 

“Randy was a good employee and we 

wish him and his family the best in 

retirement.”

NRCS Employees Retire 

Louis C. Boyd, District 

Conservationist, Retires with 32

Years Of Service

James G. Brown, District 

Conservationist, Retires with More 

Than 36 Years of Service

Randy Parnell, District 

Conservationist, Retires with More 

Than 32 Years of Service
- 10 - Helping People Help the Land

Current Developments

NRCS and the Rutherford County Soil Conservation District 

have partnered with All Saints Episcopal Church in Smyrna to 

help more than a dozen refugee families become more selfsufficient through agriculture.

 

The church is helping 14 refugee families, who are part of 

an ethnic minority known as the Karen, from Myanmar (the 

country formerly known as Burma.) Many of the Karen came 

to the U.S. with nothing except the clothes on their back, 

and now they are trying to establish a new life in Tennessee. 

When they first arrived, many of the refugees were working 

at a chicken factory, but Reverend Michael Spurlock and Dr. 

Mike Williams of All Saints Episcopal Church had the idea to 

convert 13 acres of land behind the church into a garden for 

the Karens. That’s when they got together with NRCS District 

Conservationist Jason McAfee and the Rutherford County SCD. 

With a garden the refugees could grow their own food and 

sell some of the surplus to supplement their income. The land 

had plenty of acreage for the planned project and it sat along 

Stewart’s Creek, a wonderful water source. The church also 

had a covered picnic area that had not been in use for about 

a year that could be converted into a food market stand and a 

barn to house the equipment.

The Soil Conservation District board loved the idea and 

decided to provide financial support to the project through 

the Conservation Resource Outreach Program (CROP.) They 

donated $500 to the project for the purchase of seed, tools, 

and other supplies. During the course of the meeting it was 

discovered that the last person to work the land for agricultural 

production was current SCD board member Bruce Gentry. He 

offered his equipment and time to assist the church in tilling 

and cultivating the soil. 

Mr. Gentry, his brother, and a friend turned over, tilled and cultivated the soil. Several of the Karen were also there to witness 

the ground breaking, which for many was the first time they 

had seen a tractor. Mr. Gentry and the others tilled four fields 

for the church to initially use, with each field being 250 feet by 

100 feet. The Karen planned on growing a few crops to start 

with. They chose to plant beans, cucumbers, lettuce, shade leaf 

and a native Burma pepper. While they were out there farming 

they also had language classes that taught them English. 

The farm was a success. The Karen were surprised at how fast 

it all came together and were very grateful for all the help. The 

farm is named the Kurios Farm, which means God’s Farm. To 

learn more about the farm, go to their blog at: http://kuriosfarm.blogspot.com/

Photo above: Members of the 14 refugee families from Myanmar 

at the All Saints Episcopal Church.

Photo above: The karen planted and tilled their fields. Photo below: 

The farm was so successful the refugees have been able to sell some 

of the surplus to supplement their income.

Kurios Farm Project is a Success
- 11

Current Developments

Helping People Help the Land

State Conservationist Kevin 

Brown attended the Southeast 

Conservation Districts 

Employees Association (SECDEA) 

conference in November along with 

several District Employees from 

Tennessee. 

Pictured (l to r): Kevin Brown, Janice 

Weiss, Carol Edwards, Linda Marshall, 

Mary Gregory, Jeanette Gilliam & Sara 

Steelman.

Brown Attends SECDEA 

Conference

NRCS customer Jason Luckey 

of Gibson County has been 

named the recipient of the 

2009 Delta High Cotton Award. 

Luckey and his brother, nephew, 

and father farm 3600 acres near 

Humboldt where they grow corn, 

cotton, soybeans, wheat, and beef 

cattle. His conservation practices 

include creating wildlife habitats, 

preventing soil erosion, crop rotation, 

and no-till. 

Luckey told the Delta Farm Press that 

environmental stewardship must be 

a priority. “We try to use everything 

we can--terraces, catch basins, filter 

strips and wildlife strips, and we 

diversify our crops. It’s not going to 

make you a living if run (the land) 

ragged.”

Jason Luckey of Gibson County is Recipient of 2009 Delta High Cotton Award

Photo Above: Jason Luckey, Gibson County farmer and recipient of the 2009 Delta 

High Cotton Award. Photo courtesy of Delta Farm Press

Grazing for Profit Conference Scheduled for Thursday February 19, 2009

Plan now to attend the “Grazing for Profit” conference featuring Greg Judy. The conference is scheduled for Thursday, 

February 19, 2009 at Roane State Community College in Harriman, Tennessee. The registration fee is $25 which 

includes lunch. 

Contact the Roane County Soil Conservation District 865-671-3830, ext. 3 to pre-register. Don’t delay as this event is 

expected to sell out.
- 12 - 

Current Developments

Helping People Help the Land

 by Captain RH Kauffman, Los Angeles County Fire Dept

Have you ever been in a hotel during a fire? It’s a frightening experience, and you should start thinking about it. For instance, how 

would you have acted if you had been in one of these fires?

 The Thomas Hotel, San Francisco, Ca 20 DEAD

 The Gulf Hotel, Houston, Texas 54 DEAD

 The La Salle Hotel, Chicago, Ill 61 DEAD

 The Wincoff Hotel, Atlanta, Ca 119 DEAD

Of course, there have been hundreds more with thousands of 

deaths, but I think you’re getting the drift. The majority of those 

people did not have to die.

My wife has been in the airline industry close to 8 years and while 

accompanying her on a trip recently, I learned how ill-prepared she 

was for a hotel fire. It’s not her fault: its’ quite common. Hotels, 

however, have no excuse for being ill-prepared, but believe me, 

you cannot depend on the staff in case of a fire. History has shown 

some hotels won’t even call the fire Department. I have been a 

fire-fighter in Los Angeles for over 10 years and have seen many 

people die needlessly in building fires. It’s sad because most could 

have saved themselves.

Contrary to what you have seen on television or in the movies, fire 

is not likely to chase you down and burn you to death. It’s the biproducts of fire that will kill you. Super heated fire gases (smoke) 

and panic will almost always be the cause of death long before the 

fire arrives if it ever does. This is very important. You must know 

how to avoid smoke and panic to survive a hotel fire. With this in 

mind, here are a few tips:

Smoke

Where there is smoke, there is not necessarily fire. A smoldering 

mattress, for instance, will produce great amounts of smoke. Air 

conditioning and air exchange systems will sometimes pick up 

smoke from one room and carry it out to other rooms or floors. 

You should keep that in mind because 70% of the hotel fires are 

caused by smoking and matches. In any case, your prime objective 

should be to leave at the first sign of smoke.

Smoke, being warmer, will start accumulating at the ceiling and 

work its way down. The first thing you’ll notice is THERE ARE 

NO “EXIT” SIGNS. Keep in mind when you have smoke, it’s too 

late to start looking for “exit” signs.

Another thing about smoke you should be aware of is how irritating it is on the eyes. The problem is your eyes will only take so 

much irritation then they close. Try all you want, you won’t be 

able to open them if there is still smoke in the area. It’s one of your 

body’s compensatory mechanisms. Lastly, the fresh air you want 

to breathe is at or near the floor. Get on your hands and knees (or 

stomach) and STAY THERE as you make your way out. Those 

who don’t probably won’t get far.

Think about this poor man’s predicament for a moment: He wakes 

up at 0230 hrs to a smell of smoke. He puts on his trousers and 

runs into the hallway only to be greeted by heavy smoke. He has 

no idea where the exit is. He runs to the right. He’s coughing and 

gagging, his eyes hurt. “Where is it?” “WHERE IS IT?” Panic begins to set in. About the same time he thinks maybe he is going the 

wrong way, his eyes close. He can’t find his way back to his room 

(it wasn’t so bad in there). His chest hurts, he desperately needs 

oxygen. Total panic sets in as he runs in the other direction. He is 

completely disorientated. He cannot hold his breath any longer. 

We find him at 0250. DEAD

What caused all the smoke? A small fire in a room where they 

store the roll-away beds. Remember, the presence of smoke does 

not necessarily mean the hotel is burning down.

Panic

Panic is a sudden, overpowering terror often afflicting many people 

at once. Panic is the product of your imagination running wild and 

it will set in as soon as it dawns on you you’re lost, disorientated, 

or you don’t know what to do. Panic is almost irreversible: once it 

sets in, it seems to grow. Panic will make you do things that could 

kill you. People in a state of panic are rarely able to save themselves.

If you understand what’s going on, what to do, where to go, and 

how to get there, panic will not set in. The man in the example 

I used would not have died if he had known what to do. For instance, had he known the exit was to the left and 4 doors down on 

the left, he could have gotten on his hands and knees where there 

was fresh air and started counting doorways. Even if he couldn’t 

keep his eyes open, he could feel his way as he crawled, counting 

the doors. 1... 2... 3... BINGO! He would NOT have panicked. 

He would be alive today, telling of his “great hotel fire” experience.

 

Exits

The elevator drops you at the 12th floor and you start looking for 

your room. “Let’s see ... room 1236 ... here it is”. You open the 

door and drop your luggage. AT THAT VERY MOMENT, turn 

around and go back into the hallway to check your exit. You may 

NEVER get another chance. Don’t go into the bathroom, open the 

curtains, turn on the TV, smarten your appearance, or crash out on 

the bed. I know you’re tired and you want to relax, but it’s absolutely essential...no...CRITICAL that you develop the HABIT of 

checking for your exit after you drop your luggage. It won’t take 

30 seconds, and believe me, you may NEVER get another chance.

If there are two of you sharing a room, BOTH of you locate your 

exit. Talk it over as you walk towards it. Is it on the left or right...

do you have to turn a corner? Open the exit door ... what do you 

see ... stairs or another door? (Sometimes there are 2 doors to go 

through, especially in newer hotels.)

I’d hate to see you crawl into a broom closet thinking it was the 

exit! Are you passing any rooms where your friends are staying? 

If there was a fire, you may want to bang on their doors as you go 

by. Is there anything in the hallway that would be in your way...

an ice-machine maybe? As you arrive back at your room, take 

a look once more. Get a good mental picture of what everything 

looks like. Do you think you could get to the exit with a “blindfold” on?

The Following Article is adapted from Warning: Hotels Could Be Hazardous to Your Health 
- 13 -

Current Developments

Helping People Help the Land

This procedure takes less than one minute and to be effective, it 

must become a habit. Those of you who are too lazy or tired to 

do it consistently are real “riverboat gamblers”. There are over 

5,000 hotel fires per year. The odds are sure to catch up with you.

Using the Exit

Should you have to leave your room during the night, it is important to close the door behind you. This is very effective in keeping out fire and will minimize smoke damage to your belongings.

There was a house fire in Los Angeles recently where an entire 

family died. It was a 3 bedroom house with a den and family 

room. That night, the occupants had left every door in the house 

open except one, and it had led to the washrooms where the family dog slept. The house, except for the washroom, was a total 

loss. When the fire was knocked down, firemen opened the door 

to find the family dog wagging his tail. Because the door was left 

shut, the dog and room were in fine shape.

Some doors take hours to burn through. They are excellent “fire 

stops” so close every door you go through. If you find smoke 

in the exit stairwell, then people are leaving doors open as they 

enter. 

Always take your key with you. Get into the habit of putting the 

key in the same place every time you stay in a hotel. Since every 

hotel has night stands, that’s an excellent location. It’s close to 

the bed so you can grab it when you leave without wasting time 

looking for it. It’s important you close your door as you leave, 

and it’s equally as important that you don’t lock yourself out.

You may find conditions in the hallway untenable and want to 

return to your room. If you’re now in the habit of checking your 

exit and leaving the room key on the night stand, you’re pretty 

well prepared to leave the hotel in case of a fire, so let’s “walk” 

through it once.

Something will awake you during the night. It could be the telephone, someone banging on the door, the smell of smoke, or 

some other disturbance. But, whatever it is, investigate before 

you go back to sleep. A popular “Inn” near LAX recently had a 

fire and one of the guests later said he was awakened by people 

screaming but went back to bed thinking it was a party. He darn 

near died in bed.

Let’s suppose you wake up to smoke in your room. Grab your 

key off the night stand, roll off the bed and head for the door on 

you hands and knees. Even if you could tolerate the smoke by 

standing, DON’T. You’ll want to save your eyes and lungs for 

as long as possible. BEFORE you open the door, feel it with the 

back of your hand (as it is more sensitive than the palm of your 

hand). If the door is quite hot, don’t open it. The fire could be 

just outside. We’ll talk about that later. With the back of your 

hand still on the door (in case you need to slam it shut), slowly 

open the door and peek into the hallway to “assess conditions”.

As you make your way to the exit, stay against the wall on the 

side where the exit is. It is very easy to get lost or disorientated 

in a smoky atmosphere. If you’re on the wrong side of the hallway, you might crawl right on by the exit. If you’re in the middle 

of the hall, people who are running will trip over you. Stay on 

the same side as the exit, count doors as you go.

When you reach the exit and begin to descend it is very important that you WALK down and hang onto the handrail as you 

go. Don’t take this point lightly. The people who will be running 

will knock you down and you might not be able to get up. Just 

hang on and stay out of everyone’s way. All you have to do now 

is leave the building, cross the street and watch the action. When 

the fire is out and the smoke clears, you will be allowed to reenter the building. If you closed your room door when you left, 

your belongings should be in pretty good shape.

Smoke will sometimes get into the exit stairway. It it’s a tall 

building, this smoke may not rise very high before it cools and 

becomes heavy. This is called “stacking”. If your room is on 

the 20th floor, for instance, you could enter the stairway and find 

it clear. As you descend you could encounter smoke that has 

“stacked”. Do not try to “run through it” - people die that way. 

Turn around and walk up. Now you must really hang onto the 

handrail. The people running down will probably be glassy-eyed 

and in a panic and will knock you right out of your socks!

They will run over anything in their way, including a fireman, 

but hang on and keep heading up towards the roof. If for some 

reason you try one of the doors to an upper floor and find it 

locked, that’s normal, don’t worry about it. Exit stairwells are 

designed so that you cannot enter from the street or roof. Once 

inside, however, you may exit at the street or roof but cannot go 

from floor to floor; this is done for security purposes. When you 

reach the roof, prop the door with something. This is the ONLY 

time you will leave a door open. Any smoke in the stairwell 

may now vent itself to the atmosphere and you won’t be locked 

out. Now find the windward side of the building (the wet finger 

method is quite reliable), have a seat and wait until they find 

you. Roofs have proved to be a safe secondary exit and refuge 

area. Stay put. Firemen will always make a thorough search of 

the building looking for bodies. Live ones are nice to find.

 

Your Room

After you check your exit and drop the key on the night stand. 

There is one more thing for you to do. Become familiar with 

your room. See if your bathroom has a vent; all do, but some 

have electric motors. Should you decide to remain in your room, 

turn it on to help remove the smoke. Take a good look at the 

window in your room. Does it open? Does it have a latch, a 

lock? Does it slide? Now open the window (if it works) and 

look outside. What do you see? A sign or ledges? How high up 

are you? Get a good mental picture of what’s outside, it may 

come in handy. It’s important you know how to OPEN your 

window; you may have to close it again. Should you wake up 

to smoke in your room and the door is too hot to open or the 

hallway is completely charged with smoke, don’t panic. Many 

people have defended themselves quite nicely in their room 

and so can you. One of the first things you’ll want to do is open 

the window to vent the smoke. I hope you learned how to 

open it when you checked in. It could be dark and smoky in the 

room. Those who don’t will probably throw a chair through 

the window. If there is smoke outside and you have no window 
- 14 -

Current Developments

Helping People Help the Land

to close, it will enter your room and you will be trapped. The 

broken glass from the window will cut like a surgeon’s scalpel. 

Don’t compound your problems. Besides, if you break out your 

window with a chair, you could hit a fireman on the street below.

If there is fresh air outside, leave the window open, but keep an 

eye on it. At this point, most people would stay at the window, 

waving frantically, while their room continues to fill with smoke, 

if the fire burns through. This procedure is not conducive to 

longevity. You must be aggressive and fight back. Here are some 

things you can do in any order you choose ... if the room phone 

works, let someone know you’re in there. Flip on the bathroom 

vent. Fill the bath with water. (Don’t get into it - it’s for fire fighting. You’d be surprised how many people try to save themselves 

by getting into a tub of water - that’s how you cook lobsters and 

crabs, so you know what happens!) Wet some sheets or towels, 

and stuff the cracks of your door to keep out the smoke.

With your ice-bucket, bail the water from the bath onto the door 

to keep it cool. Feel the walls - if they are hot, bail water onto 

them too. You can put your mattress up against the door and 

block it in place with the dresser. Keep it wet - keep everything 

wet. Who cares about the mess. A wet towel tied around your 

nose and mouth is an effective filter if you fold it in a triangle 

and put the corner in your mouth. If you swing a wet towel 

around the room, it will help clear the smoke. If there is a fire 

outside the window, pull down the curtains and move everything 

combustible away from the window. Bail water all around the 

window. The point is, there shouldn’t be any reason to panic 

- keep fighting until reinforcements arrive. It won’t be long.

Elevators

There isn’t an elevator made that can be used as a “safe” exit. In 

all states, elevators by law cannot be considered an “exit”. They 

are complicated devices with a mind of their own. The problem 

is people only know one way out of a building - the way they 

came in, and if that was the elevator, they are in trouble. Elevator shafts and machinery extends through all floors of a building, 

and besides, with the shaft filling with smoke, there are hundreds 

of other things that could go wrong and probably will. Everyone 

tries to get on the elevator in an emergency. Fights break out 

and people get seriously injured. Smoke, heat and fire do funny 

things to elevator call buttons, controls, etc

Case in point: Hotel guests in a New Orleans hotel were called 

on their room phones and notified of a fire on the upper floors. 

They were in no danger, but asked to evacuate the hotel as a 

precaution. Five of the guests decided to use the elevator. It 

was discovered later that the elevator only went down about 

three floors and then for some reason started going up. It did 

not stop until it reached the fire floor. The doors came open and 

were held open by smoke obscuring the photo cell light beam. 

Besides the five guests in the elevator who died of suffocation, 

firemen noticed that every button had been pushed, probably in a 

frantic attempt to stop the elevator.

Fires have killed many people, including firemen. Several New 

York firemen recently used an elevator when responding to a fire 

up on the 20th floor. They pushed 18, but the elevator went right 

on by the 18th floor. The doors came open on the 20th floor to an 

inferno and remained open long enough to kill all the firemen. he 

doors then closed and the elevator returned to the lobby. Hand 

operated elevators are not exempt. Some elevator operators have 

been beaten by people fighting over the controls. If you have any 

idea that there might be smoke or fire in your hotel, avoid the 

elevator like the plague.

 

Jumping

It’s important I say something about jumping because so many 

people do it. Most are killed or injured in the process. I cannot 

tell you whether or not you should jump. Every fire, although 

similar, is different. I can tell you, however, what usually happens 

to “jumpers”. If you’re on the 1st floor, you could just OPEN the 

window and climb out. From the second floor you could probably 

make it with a sprained ankle, but you must jump out far enough 

to clear the building. Many people hit window sills and ledges on 

the way down, and they go into cartwheels. If they don’t land on 

their head and kill themselves, they’re injured seriously. If you’re 

any higher than the 3rd, the chances are you won’t survive the 

fall. You would probably be better off fighting the fire. Nearby 

buildings seem closer than they really are and many have died 

trying to jump to a building that looked 5 feet away, but was 

actually 15 feet away.

Panic is what causes most people to jump. There was a fire in Brazil a few years ago where 40 people jumped from windows and 

all 40 died. Ironically, 36 of those jumped after the fire was out. 

Many people have survived by staying put whilst those around 

them jumped to their death. If you can resist panic and think 

clearly, you can use your own best judgment.

Calling the Fire Department

Believe it or not, most hotels will not call the fire department until 

they verify whether or not there really is a fire and try to put it out 

themselves. Should you call the receptionist to report a fire, they 

will always send the bellhop, security guard, or anyone else that’s 

not busy to investigate. Hotels are very reluctant to “disturb” their 

guests and fire engines in the streets are quite embarrassing and 

tend to draw crowds.

In the New Orleans hotel fire, records show that the fire 

department received only one call, from a guest in one of the 

rooms. The desk had been notified of fire 20 minutes earlier and 

had sent a security guard to investigate. His body was later found 

on the 12th floor about 10 feet from the elevator.

Should you want to report a fire or smell of smoke, ask the hotel 

operator for an outside line for a local call. Call the fire department and tell them your room number in case you need to be rescued. You need not feel embarrassed, that’s what we’re here for. 

We would much rather come to a small fire or smoking electrical 

fire that you smelled than be called 20 minutes later after 6 people 

have died. Don’t let hotel “policy” intimidate you into doing otherwise. The hotel may be a little upset with you, but who cares. 

The fire department will be glad you called: you may have saved 

many lives. Besides, it’s a great way for us to meet people!

The rest is up to you. Only you can condition yourself to react in 

a hotel emergency. You can be well prepared by developing these 

habits.