Fire safety a good bet at Mississippi casinos

Feb. 29--BILOXI -- A Jan. 26 fire at the Monte Carlo Resort in Las Vegas caused $100 million in damage and lost business, and showed casino disaster doesn't come just in the form of hurricanes.

Coast casino representatives and the Biloxi Fire Department say they are prepared should a fire break out in the hotel towers or anywhere on the properties. The fire department has frequent inspections, and casinos require safety orientation for new employees and periodic fire training.

A Sound Off caller who said he is a dealer at a local casino also said he doesn't know what to do in the event of a fire. If that is the case and someone doesn't know the procedures to follow, the supervisors and managers will direct them, said Adam Jowett, director of security at Hard Rock Casino.

In November when a fire broke out in the flue of the coffee roaster at the Beau Rivage, "We got to see how well our plan worked. We had to evacuate all the retail promenade," said Eric Newton, director of security. "It was a textbook-perfect evacuation," and the security team met with the Biloxi Fire Department a few days later to review the response.

Evacuation-training classes are coming up in March because they are scheduled annually for supervisors and security, said Newton.

"Different departments have different procedures"; dealers, for instance, learn what to do with the money in their care. Actual surprise fire drills are held yearly in departments that can evacuate without affecting the guests. Newton said for front-desk and casino personnel they do a "table top" drill and ask, "Exactly what would you do?"

The Beau Rivage performs these drills annually and "every employee is taught two exits, not just one," Newton said.