How bizarre; and unbelievably disturbing!

[APPRIDE]

It's particularly disturbing to me because I've stay there a few time. I can't remember 100% but it seems like that's where we checked and and the smoke detector was covered up. We just thought that a prior guest had burnt one and didn't want to set off the alarm so we called down and made sure that they didn't charge us for smoking in a non-smoking room. It was just weird because the room had been cleaned fairly well but the smoke detector was still covered up. We just marked it up to the fact they didn't look up.

Now it makes me wonder if it was a combination detector and it was going off all the time and the motel staff covered it up. I know that I"m reaching but it still makes me feel a little weird. I wish that I could be 100% that this was the motel, but I'm almost certain that it was.

That is potentially very important information, you need to contact the investigation team in my opinion. I mean the fact is you had to call down to the front desk and tell them a detector was covered up. What if like you say the detectors have been going off before and they covered them up w/out fixing the problem? Much less having a covered detector even if it was "only" for smoke and not a dual purpose unit.

[CVAPP]

To my knowledge smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors are not the same technology. Therefore, as bad as it is, a covered smoke detector is not a covered carbon monoxide detector.

[Maddog1956]

To my knowledge smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors are not the same technology. Therefore, as bad as it is, a covered smoke detector is not a covered carbon monoxide detector.

There are many Combination Smoke/Carbon Monoxide Alarm but I don't know if they had one or not.

[Maddog1956]

It's particularly disturbing to me because I've stay there a few time. I can't remember 100% but it seems like that's where we checked and and the smoke detector was covered up. We just thought that a prior guest had burnt one and didn't want to set off the alarm so we called down and made sure that they didn't charge us for smoking in a non-smoking room. It was just weird because the room had been cleaned fairly well but the smoke detector was still covered up. We just marked it up to the fact they didn't look up.

Now it makes me wonder if it was a combination detector and it was going off all the time and the motel staff covered it up. I know that I"m reaching but it still makes me feel a little weird. I wish that I could be 100% that this was the motel, but I'm almost certain that it was.

That is potentially very important information, you need to contact the investigation team in my opinion. I mean the fact is you had to call down to the front desk and tell them a detector was covered up. What if like you say the detectors have been going off before and they covered them up w/out fixing the problem? Much less having a covered detector even if it was "only" for smoke and not a dual purpose unit.

I have been debating it and would have done it already, but my wife and I can't be sure it was there (we've been in so many motels in Boone and other places).

[CVAPP]

To my knowledge smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors are not the same technology. Therefore, as bad as it is, a covered smoke detector is not a covered carbon monoxide detector.

There are many Combination Smoke/Carbon Monoxide Alarm but I don't know if they had one or not.

Then it stands to reason they did not. Why increase your bottom line if you truly don't care about your guests' safety?

[appmandan]

I think especially any hotel that has gas logs in some or all rooms should be required to have CO alarms in every room. I think I'm going to start traveling with one that plugs into an outlet.

If the best western was told in march to fix ventilation problems in March, and nothing has been done... Heads should roll.

[JCline0429]

To my knowledge smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors are not the same technology. Therefore, as bad as it is, a covered smoke detector is not a covered carbon monoxide detector.

I support your side of this with the CO detectors. I do wonder how much the Hospitality industry would fight this as a huge cost burden. I would be very surprised if they did not fight this tooth and nail.

No doubt they would fight it. But the cost of the duel purpose units has come down a lot over the past 10 or so years to where they are only a few dollars more than the mass produced fire only units. Some of the higher end chains are already using multi-purpose detectors. Truth be told a lot of people in the industry will be watching closely to see what will happen in these cases. Since it has been announced that it was CO that caused the deaths in both cases then the cost of not installing them might far outweigh the cost of the units, especially to BW.

I recently bought and had installed a wired in combination smoke and carbon monoxide detector. It cost me less than $50 to purchase and only a few dollars more to have installed. Of course it is not a commercial grade apparatus, if there is such a thing, but it doesn't seem like these devices should be a big economic hit for motels and other properties.

[McLeansvilleAppFan]

To my knowledge smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors are not the same technology. Therefore, as bad as it is, a covered smoke detector is not a covered carbon monoxide detector.

I support your side of this with the CO detectors. I do wonder how much the Hospitality industry would fight this as a huge cost burden. I would be very surprised if they did not fight this tooth and nail.

No doubt they would fight it. But the cost of the duel purpose units has come down a lot over the past 10 or so years to where they are only a few dollars more than the mass produced fire only units. Some of the higher end chains are already using multi-purpose detectors. Truth be told a lot of people in the industry will be watching closely to see what will happen in these cases. Since it has been announced that it was CO that caused the deaths in both cases then the cost of not installing them might far outweigh the cost of the units, especially to BW.

I recently bought and had installed a wired in combination smoke and carbon monoxide detector. It cost me less than $50 to purchase and only a few dollars more to have installed. Of course it is not a commercial grade apparatus, if there is such a thing, but it doesn't seem like these devices should be a big economic hit for motels and other properties.

They are very cheap relative to how long they last, and if working properly, what they can do. The house I still have and rent was required to install a CO detector a few years back. I think that was state law and not just a local ordinance. So a rental unit with a family of three must install this if any sort of combustion could take place (natural gas, LP,or even a wood fireplace) but a building that could have a 1000 folks it in, and dozens in an area of concern none are needed, and the suggestion it would be useful for safety will be fought.

[Robert Norton]

Pass the buck city and resignations. LAWSUITS!!

[firemoose]

Pass the buck city and resignations. LAWSUITS!!

This is a real Charlie Fox. Tox report back on Ms. Jenkins a week before Jeffrey Williams passes. Dr. Hall has now resigned. WCHD tells the motel of safety problems regarding the pool heating system 2 weeks before the Jenkins' stay in the room and no one follows up before or after to see if the problems were addressed. IA's are going to be busy in a lot of places.

In my 20+ years I've seen a lot of balls dropped but never all at once. I'm too angry to say any more.

[appmandan]

Firemoose,
I feel ya. I'm on both sides of this situation. I'm upset this happened in Boone. I don't want her reputation tarnished and I want to have faith in the business owners and the city and county governments to prevent these sorts of things. And having to watch the pain this has caused the family here in Rock Hill makes my blood boil. There were so many warning signs, to me this seems more like a cover-up. I have no proof it's just my opinion, but no one from the hotel staff, the city inspection office, the Boone Police, or the Coroner blew a whistle and to have this missed by so many different parties it seems to go beyond negligence. AT NO TIME SHOULD AN ELEVEN YEAR OLD CHILD FALL ASLEEP BESIDE HIS MOTHER AND NEVER WAKE UP.

Funeral for Jeffery was today. It was held at First Baptist Rock Hill with standing room only.
Family is doing as well as expected and the service was a true celebration of life. There were a handful of news trucks parked outside the church parking lot, but they did not interfere with the service.

[T-Dog]

To someone up on the mountain, it looks more like incompetence than a cover up. The people in charge of the Best Western (and Country Inn next door) leave a lot to be desired. I've heard stories about their business practices long before this happened. The sam people also owned the Scottish Inn which finally got condemned last year as it was literally falling apart and also the Red Roof Inn where the little kid fell into the culvert and drowned.

[firemoose]

I'm biting my tongue so hard right now it's about in half. I know people in the departments involved. Some I've known since I was a kid. But I've also been a firefighter/medic and CSU member in two other states and in much larger cities and there appear to be some unanswered questions from an investigative standpoint. Boone is both blessed and cursed in that they don't see many things like this. Unfortunately the places I've worked weren't so lucky. Strange, unusual, and unexplained deaths were far more normal than abnormal.

Sorry but I've got to stop now. I wasn't there and haven't seen a DS report. No more comments until something with positions and conditions from the first is released, if that happens.

[HaveAnAppForThat]

Now they are saying that the heater that caused this tragedy is not the one that was permitted.

http://www.goblueridge.net/news/20355-k ... permittedq

[goapps93]

Now they are saying that the heater that caused this tragedy is not the one that was permitted.

http://www.goblueridge.net/news/20355-k ... permittedq

This has civil suit written all over it(and criminal action as well) and guess who has just reactivated his law license, our former Senator John Edwards. This right up his alley.

[asu66]

I have been told by a state official involved in the overall investigation that it's not yet clear whether this property will ever be allowed to open its doors to the traveling public again. If it ever does reopen, it will almost definitely will have to do so under new ownership and new management.

[CVAPP]

I have been told by a state official involved in the overall investigation that it's not yet clear whether this property will ever be allowed to open its doors to the traveling public again. If it ever does reopen, it will almost definitely will have to do so under new ownership and new management.

Hopefully as the current ownership rots in prison. But probably not. Nonetheless, I suspect it will reopen under new ownership and management as the flaws in the structure's systems can be fixed, and it would be a waste not keep that parcel serving its highest and best use.

[appmandan]

John Edwards is an ambulance chaser and this would be no frivolous lawsuit. I hope the family in Washington and the family here in Rock Hill brings the ownership to its knees, but I also think this is beyond a civil matter. I think someone should be facing charges of no less than 3 counts of manslaughter, but I'm also not an impartial judge.

[Maddog1956]

Detectors in NC hotels, motels approved by House

http://www.wsoctv.com/news/news/local/d ... use/nYnmd/

[bcoach]

Now they are saying that the heater that caused this tragedy is not the one that was permitted.

http://www.goblueridge.net/news/20355-k ... permittedq

This has civil suit written all over it(and criminal action as well) and guess who has just reactivated his law license, our former Senator John Edwards. This right up his alley.

Edwards has his head up his alley if you get my drift.