June 8, 2009 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE (SH2009-33) FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION R. Steve Huffman Public Information Officer (251) 208-2857/Fax: (251) 208-2861 E-Mail: huffman@cityofmobile.org HOTELS/MOTELS BE WARNED OF POSSIBLE PRANKS Mobile Fire-Rescue wants to warn hotel/motel management, as well as, visitors that may be staying in local hotels/motels of a possible prank that has occurred in the state in the past week. There have been at least two reported cases of pranksters calling local hotels and telling guest there may be a fire and they need to activate the sprinkler system. One incident occurred in Gardendale, Ala. And the second known incident occurred in Daphne, Ala. First, a reputable alarm/sprinkler contractor would never call and ask someone to activate a system. Secondly, a majority of sprinkler heads are heat activated and are designed to activate automatically only when in the immediate area of the fire. The entire system does not typically activate. If someone calls and ask to activate the system do not do it. Call the hotel management and report the incident. The incident in Gardendale occurred Wednesday, June 3 around 6 p.m. where a hotel desk clerk received a phone call from a male caller indicating that he was with the hotel's alarm/sprinkler company and that the hotel had a major emergency with its alarm/sprinkler system. The caller stated that if the clerk did not check the system immediately, all the occupants would be in grave danger. He advised her to go immediately to a pull station and sound the alarm, which she unfortunately did. He then stated the hotel/occupants were still in danger and if she did not relieve the pressure in the sprinkler system, all the heads in the entire 3-story hotel would activate. He advised her to relieve the pressure in the system by knocking off one of the sprinklers heads. In a panic she did as she was instructed. Fortunately there was only minor damage to two rooms. The second known case occurred in Daphne, Ala Friday night, June 5. This time the prankster called several individual rooms and notified the occupants that the hotel was on fire and they needed to activate the sprinkler head. Fortunately, only one occupant followed the order, but the damage was done. So far there have been no reported cases in the Mobile area. ###