Snowmass Village, Colo.—March 3, 2014—Today, The Town of Snowmass Village, Snowmass Wildcat Fire Protection District, and Pitkin County Communications Center recognized the Viceroy Snowmass Hotel for their contributions to enhancing public safety through their first annual Snowmass Village Community Safety Award.
May Bill Boineau presented the award to Hugh Templeman, Regional Vice President & General Manager at Viceroy Snowmass during the Town Council meeting.
In 2011, the Viceroy Snowmass implemented changes to their out-bound calling system with the goal to reduce false 9-1-1 calls. By modifying the out-bound dialing prefix from 9-1 to 5-1, hotel guests were less likely to accidentally dial 9-1-1, where they often hung-up upon realizing the mistake.
“Whenever a 9-1-1 call from Snowmass Village is fielded by Pitkin County Dispatch, our officers are required and compelled to respond,” said Sergeant Brian Olson of the Snowmass Village Police Department. “False 9-1-1 calls divert our department’s resources away from other matters in the community, so we strongly support and appreciate efforts undertaken by the Viceroy to mitigate unnecessary police response. It helps our department be more efficient and enhances public safety.”
With 173 guest rooms and numerous amenities and offices, the Viceroy Snowmass’ change to their direct-dial phone system was a significant undertaking. Not only did the system have to be modified, but all signage and in-room instructions on the phone system needed to be changed out.
But, after just two years, the investment is paying off. According to Snowmass Village Police data, accidental 9-1-1 calls were reduced by 97 percent, after the program was implemented. In 2013, only one accidental call was made.
“The safety and comfort of our guests is always our number one priority,” said Templeman. “We are glad that we could work cooperatively with our local public safety agencies to make changes that accomplish our shared goals of safety and service.”
The Snowmass Village Police Department and other local public safety authorities hope that the Viceroy’s success will encourage other lodges and hotels in the Village to participate in programs that enhance public safety.
“Fire and life safety is always a priority with Viceroy management,” said John Mele, Deputy Chief of Fire Prevention with the Snowmass Wildcat Fire Protection District. “We enjoy our employee fire education classes with the Viceroy staff.”
