Sprinklers cause heavy damage to hotel

DAPHNE, Ala. - A prankster called a Comfort Suites guest and told the guest that the hotel was on fire and to activate the sprinkler system. There wasn't a fire, but the guest did activated the sprinkler system, and now the hotel is facing a lot of damages.

A fan now sits in the place the bed once did to dry the carpet at Comfort Suites. "It was a prank call of course. But that prank phone call caused a lot of damage." The prank call happened late Friday night.

There is heavy water damage to beds, tables, and carpet. Hotel manager Damita Cook could not believe her eyes. "I was like wow. Are you serious? But it was true to see all the damage that was done from this. It really affected the property."

Fire crews say a hotel guest got a phone call from a man saying the place was burning and that the sprinkler system needed to be activated.

The fire marshal says when the man got the phone call, he immediately did what was told. He hopped on top of his bed and punched out the needle to set off the sprinkler system. But the force of the water was so strong, it knocked the man off the bed.

The guest who set off the system was not hurt and has since left. Jim Brown checked out Monday morning and had a few words to the person who disturbed his sleeping time Friday night, "You're a jerk. It's stupid...Why would you do something like that. Probably a kid's joke."

Daphne Fire Marshall Chip Martin has been out all day warning other hotel managers. "The alarm company is going to send out a technician. The fire department, we are going to send a truck out there and somebody in uniform, not over the telephone."

A prank call can not only cause terrible damage it can also take time away for real emergency calls. Since the prank call, Comfort Suites managers have changed the way they handle telephone calls. All incoming calls must now go through the receptionist's desk.