Tag Archives: Anti-Terrorism

by | February 27, 2012 · 9:28 am

Hospitality Industry Terrorism Risks: FBI And Bureau Of Justice Assistance (BJA) Release List Of "Suspicious Activities" Hotels Should Be Aware Of

The FBI and the BJA set up a joint regional intelligence center, a hotline, and published a Release with some tips specifically for hotels and motels:

  • Request specific room assignments or locations.
  • Use cash for large transactions or a credit card in someone else’s name.
  • Arrive with unusual amounts of luggage.
  • Make unusual inquiries about local sites, including government, military, police, communications, and power facilities.
  • Refuse cleaning service over an extended time.
  • Use entrances and exits that avoid the lobby.
  • Abandon a room and leave behind clothing and toiletry items.
  • Do not leave their room.
  • Change their appearance.
  • Leave the property for several days and then return.
  • Thefts of official vehicles, uniforms, identification, and access cards.

    Reports of guest rooms with:
  • Burn marks or discoloration on the walls or door.
  • Unusual odors or liquids seeping from a guest room.
  • Unusual amounts of traffic.

Discovery of unusual items in guest rooms or facility dumpsters:

  • Fertilizer or agricultural products.
  • Chemicals or chemical containers.
  • Fuel or fuel containers.
  • Weapons, ammunition, and explosives.
  • Extremist training manuals or literature.
  • Fraudulent credit cards or documents.

Parked vehicles in isolated areas.


For more:  http://www.4hoteliers.com/4hots_fshw.php?mwi=6658

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by | November 2, 2011 · 4:58 am

Hospitality Industry Security Risks: Department Of Homeland Security (DHS) To Present 15-Second TV Announcement On In-Room Hotel Channels Urging Guests To Be "Vigilant" In Fight Against Terrorism

“…Starting today, the welcome screens on 1.2 million hotel television sets in Marriott, Hilton, Sheraton, Holiday Inn and other hotels in the USA will show a short public service announcement from DHS (Department of Homeland Security). The 15-second spot encourages viewers to be vigilant and call law enforcement if they witness something suspicious during their travels…”

During the PSA, which starts with a woman exiting a yellow taxi in front of a train station, a narrator says, “Maybe you see something suspicious. Can you be sure? If you see something, say something to authorities.”

The PSA, which will be interspersed with other messages on the welcome screen, will be the same in all 5,400 hotels that LodgeNet serves. It ends by telling viewers to contact “local authorities.”

Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano says that reaching the “millions of guests that stay at hotels and motels each year is a significant step in engaging the full range of partners in our Homeland Security efforts.”

The federal government gained access to hotel TV sets by forming a partnership with the hotel industry’s largest association — the American Hotel & Lodging Association — which connected DHS with LodgeNet, the industry’s largest TV-content provider.

By entering hotels at a time when the hospitality industry is on the rebound, the government has the power to tap a growing, captive audience. Recent research from LodgeNet says 98% of hotel guests turn on their hotel TV, and the average guest keeps it on for more than three hours per day.

For more:  http://travel.usatoday.com/hotels/story/2011-11-02/Hotel-guests-recruited-with-Homeland-Security-TV-spots/51032602/1

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by | August 29, 2011 · 9:07 am

Hospitality Industry Security Risks: Hotels Are Targeted By Terrorists For "Worldwide Attention"; Housekeepers Should Be Trained To "Report Suspicious Activity"

“…Terrorists are increasingly targeting hotels because of the worldwide attention such attacks receive…so it’s important to have a plan in place. Marriott, for one, uses a multi-point crisis management program that is reviewed semiannually…”

Preparedness should extend beyond a company’s executives, said Tom Whitlatch of Hospitality Risk Controls. Housekeepers, those employees who spend a considerable amount of time in hotel hallways and guestrooms, need to be trained to keep an eye out for suspicious behavior.

Housekeepers, he said, should not be afraid to challenge people they see in hallways to show room keys. “We have to train them and get them to understand it’s OK to do that,” Whitlatch said.

Further, housekeepers need to keep their eyes open for suspicious activity in guestrooms, too, Durham said.

“It’s the housekeeper who might go into the room who might notice something unusual about a piece of equipment or luggage sitting on the bed,” she said.

For more:  http://www.hotelnewsnow.com/Articles.aspx/6312/Experts-detail-hotel-security-plans

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by | April 5, 2011 · 2:15 pm

Hospitality Industry Security And Terrorism Risks: "Eye On Awareness—Hotel Security And Anti-Terrorism Training" Online Video Course Offered By Hotel Association (Video)

CLICK ON "SEE" TO WATCH "EYE ON AWARENESS" PREVIEW

Hotel bombings in Baghdad, Jakarta, and Morocco—hospitality properties have become popular targets for terrorism in recent years. Not surprisingly, a majority of today’s guests list safety and security as their most important concern when planning a hotel stay.  How can your hotel ensure a sense of security and still offer a welcome and inviting environment for guests? A property’s front-line employees may well be the most crucial, yet often overlooked, element of effective hotel security.

Developed in partnership with international security experts, hospitality leaders, and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s If You See Something, Say Something™ campaign, Eye on Awareness—Hotel Security and Anti-terrorism Training™ provides the skills and knowledge essential for hotel employees to recognize, report and react to suspicious situations at their property.

For more:  http://www.ahlei.org/eyeonawareness/

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