Since most casinos have back-up emergency generators that kick in within 10 seconds of power interruption, complete power outages are rare. They’re not impossible, however; our trusted pseudonymous casino executive, Arnie Rothstein, says, "I experienced a power loss every four years over a 20-year period for reasons such as fires, floods, and snow storms."
Arnie explains the procedures:
Every casino has its own set of policies and procedures, but most dealer schools give out the following advice.
"If you should experience a blackout situation, immediately sweep in (from the outside in) all wagers and lay over your chip tray with your arms/elbows pulled up to protect the sides of the tray. Remain in this position until light returns, the game can be closed (lid safely locked), or your floor supervisor advises you to do otherwise. Dealers, boxmen, and floor supervisors should make every attempt to secure all monies, chips, markers, cards and dice from within the betting area from possible theft, bet capping, or pinching. The round in progress will be called dead or no dice. After power and stability are returned, surveillance will do a tape review to verify what belongs to whom."
If you have an emergency that requires an evacuation, the above procedure applies with the exception that the dealers are advised not to risk life or limb for money. They’re told to stay calm, close their games (if conditions permit), and leave via the pre-planned emergency evacuation route. They are asked to advise guests of the emergency exits as they vacate the building.
The floor people are advised to secure the games in their sections (if possible) before leaving their assigned area. They’re also told to verify that all of their staff (dealers, pit staff) have safely vacated the area (if conditions permit) and then they, the floor supervisor, should leave the building via the pre-designated route.
Surveillance employees are to change tapes (if applicable), adjust cameras (to view the widest amount of space possible), and point as many cameras as possible toward the cage area and to stay as long conditions are safe.
Security officers are usually the last to leave. They are to evacuate the property as fast and as safe as possible and to assist the authorities (police, fire fighters, etc.), in any way possible (conditions permitting) before leaving the property. They are not to risk life or limb for money, but they must remove all patrons from the casino by all means possible. Should they encounter players who refuse to leave (and they have), they are to advise the police after removing themselves from harms way.
Now if the emergency is a bomb threat, it’s a whole different deal. During a bomb threat, only security officers are informed. They then divvy up the hotel and casino into numerous parts and send out teams to begin the search for anything unusual, such as orphaned luggage, strange bags or devices, etc. No one is asked to leave, unless something questionable is found or if real, valid information is received. It’s no secret that hotel/casinos get numerous bomb threats annually. Most are found to come from disgruntled employees or sore losers.
Due to historical events in Las Vegas (the huge MGM fire and a number of smaller ones), fires are the most respected of all emergencies. Therefore, Clark County has some of the toughest building inspectors and fire-safety controls of any state, nationwide. All rooms, halls, and public areas must have fire sprinklers. On top of that, fire extinguishers must be strategically placed in every hallway and in office. There are also automated voice-alert systems advising the entire hotel and casino of a pending emergency, along with red flashing lights and strobe lights that can only be reset by two security officers.
The hotel operators know which rooms are rented and how many people are registered to each room. This information is given to the fire department ASAP. Throughout the casino you’ll see chrome wall plates with a small hole in the center labeled "Fire Phone," which allow for instant communication with the authorities. In fact, most casinos have a "safety officer" present at all times. This individual checks pressure gauges on all the fire extinguishers, the kick panels on the (fire) doors, and the fire-hose stations, along with the proper functioning of strobe and other emergency lighting and obstructions at the fire doors and emergency exits, and other similar tasks.
It’s not an overstatement to say that the casinos and the fire departments have a wonderful working relationship.
There’s an old expression: "If I have to be inside a building that catches on fire, let it be in a fire station or a hotel/casino." The gambling industry takes fire seriously and, given recent events at the Monte Carlo, it should.
