Politicians may well endanger themselves and others by using an extremely old political trick: disguising fire exit signs. They do this to avoid embarrassing photographs. This practice may very well lead to voters being lost or trapped in the event of an actual fire within the room where politicians are speaking or appearing. For advertising consultants, covering billboards is important work, because it prevents a politician from being photographed under a billboard that suggests an exit rather than an entrance.

According to a spokesperson for the Fire Chiefs Association, covering an exit sign or obstructing a fire escape is a very serious matter. It is strongly recommended that once a blocked exit or covered sign is detected, the local fire and rescue service be notified immediately. It should be noted that fire exit signs are quickly discovered once spawning is complete, but the risk involved in taking action is too great to ignore.

Boris Johnson’s former press officer, Dylan Sharpe, once went beyond simply covering the fire exit sign. Sharpe had the sign completely unscrewed and removed from the wall for which he had been designated. At the time, Sharpe was not in the employ of any politician.

The rules governing fire exit signs in England are set out in the Statutory Ordinance 2005. It states that non-domestic premises or businesses must have a person responsible, in the event of a fire, for exit routes. They are also responsible for ensuring that all emergency exits remain clear and properly identified at all times. All exits and emergency routes must be identified with signs, while exits and emergency routes must be illuminated. This lighting must be provided with emergency lighting whose intensity is adequate in case the normal lighting fails. Other than that, the regulation does not specify any provision that formally prohibits the temporary covering of fire exit signs.

That said, the practice of politicians covering fire exit signs is apparently not going to end any time soon. Although they have been strongly advised not to continue the practice, it continues to thrive. It seems that the desire to win the election and take office far outweighs the collective security of the voters who will elect them. This practice not only involves covering fire exit signs, it also involves blocking the exits. If a fire were to break out during a politician’s appearance at a location, the results would be chaotic and deadly.

Voters will be left with no clear understanding of where to go and, in some cases, no viable way out. The only way to truly ensure the safety of the public is to immediately notify your local fire authority of fire exit sign coverage or an exit being blocked.