A prank call at a Banks Crossing hotel at 4 a.m. on Tuesday led to an evacuation.
Someone apparently called one of the guest rooms at the Best Western and told the person who answered the phone to turn on the sprinklers because of a gas leak. This turned out to be a prank call and led to the room being damaged and the hotel being evacuated.
The Banks County Sheriff’s Office is investigating the incident, and Sheriff Charles Chapman reports that criminal felony charges will be filed if the offenders are caught. The hotel is open for business now.
The Banks County 911 center received a call from an employee of the hotel who reported that the sprinkler systems were going off in one room. The 911 operator asked if there was a fire and if they were able to evacuate. The employee reportedly said that the supervisor had checked and there was not a fire. The 911 operator reported that fire service personnel would be sent to make sure that everything was O.K.
The Banks County fire unit investigated the report and found that it was an apparent prank caller who contacted several rooms and said there was a gas leak and the sprinkler head needed to be knocked off. One of the guests at the hotel followed the instructions, which led to the problem.
911 operators called surrounding hotels and told them of the prank so that they could notify their guests about the issue. The sheriff, EMA director and board of commissioners were also notified of the problem.
911 director Deidra Moore reported that this kind of prank had been reported at hotels in other states, including Alabama, Florida and California.
“Safety is important, but patrons should always check with the front desk of the establishment if they receive a call from someone on their hotel phone directing them to take any action that is suspicious in nature,” Moore said. “Employees should also be cautious of prank calls and if it is out of the norm, check it out. Each hotel has protocol they will follow for safety. Check these protocols when you check in as it will help you. It is also important to note that as a community, we should not and won’t allow pranks of this nature to incite panic or cause harm if we can prevent it.”
Fire chief Brian Eubanks said that his department has checked with local hotel management in Banks Crossing and have found that typically the management will inform guests to evacuate if necessary.
“They will not typically tell you to do damage that isn’t required to get you to safety,” he said. “Fire units will be dispatched to calls relating to the sprinklers and fire alarms for safety precautions and patrons and hotel employees should always follow directions from the uniformed Banks County Emergency Service personnel on the scene to ensure safety.”
Banks County board of commissioners chairman Milton Dalton reminds all citizens, visitors and business owners and employees to also be conscious of surroundings and aware of those that may wish to disrupt services in any attempt to cause harm to people or property and to always report anything suspicious by calling 911.
