There have been incidents of hotel employees and guests at properties around the country receiving panicked phone calls informing them of a fire in the building, and urging them to follow their instructions to combat it. Actions taken by employees and guests following the caller's instructions have resulted in up to an estimated $50,000 in water, computer, and infrastructure damage.
Cases have been reported in Alabama, Arkansas, California, Florida, and Nebraska. Although authorities say felony charges could be filed against whoever is making the calls, at the current time they do not know who the responsible party is.
Employee and guest safety is the highest priority of the lodging industry. AH&LA is encouraging all members to build awareness of these calls amongst their staff, and to reiterate to employees their standard operating procedures in emergency situations, and consumers to be aware of these calls.
Click here for more details on these prank calls, and strategies to protect hotel properties.