About Bomb Threats

Bomb threats happen more often than the public would like to believe. Some bomb threats are false alarms and are the product of an individual that falsely believes that they have pulled off a funny prank, while other bomb threats are the real deal and demand that a set protocol be followed. Regardless of whether or not a bomb threat is a prank or if the bomb threat is real, a bomb threat must always, always be taken seriously. Emergency personnel should be contacted in every instance and safety measures should be enacted at once.

Bomb threats, whether a prank or not are a crime that can result in significant penalties. Depending upon the state where the infringement occurs, there can be both fines and imprisonment applied as a punishment for making a bomb threat. With the recent onset of terrorist events, many businesses are rightfully concerned about bomb threats and potential risks.

While the majority of bomb threats are false alarms, a real bomb threat can prove to have devastating results if it is handled incorrectly. Along with damage to the property, the business can suffer damage to assets, loss of critical documentation, and worst of all, employees can lose their life! It is imperative that a business develops an emergency plan to handle bomb threats. Emergency plans should include things like how to back up records in the event that a real bomb threat occurs, how to search the location, how to evacuate the location and a hierarchy of who to contact in the event a bomb threat is made.

There are several ways that a business or location may receive a bomb threat. The most common way that a bomb threat is received is when someone calls in and notifies an employee or staff member that there is a bomb at the location. The individual may place a short and terse call, advising that there is a bomb and then disconnect the call, but the employee should do whatever they can to keep the individual on the line as long as possible to get as much information as possible from the person making the threat. It is important that the employee that has received the bomb threat remains as calm as possible and that they take down ample notes, documenting every word of the call, the time the call was received, and whether the caller was a male or a female. Every fragment of information recorded can prove helpful later on when the law apprehends the individual.

All employees and staff members should undergo some extensive bomb threat awareness training when their employment commences. Annual refreshers are recommended so that the staff remains up-to-date and current with their awareness training. When a bomb threat is received by telephone, the employee should view the call as an opportunity to retrieve as much information as possible. If the caller is willing to talk, the employee should take every measure to encourage the caller to speak. The caller should attempt to ask questions about why the caller is making the call, where the alleged bomb is located, what the expected detonation time is, and what, if anything the caller wants from the establishment. Again, careful notes are a must! If there is a recording device available, make sure that it is running and if there is call trace features on the phone, when the call ends, use it! Also, if there is a caller id feature, note the number that has come up on the digital display.

When receiving a bomb threat by phone, the call recipient should remain perfectly calm – it will give the employee an opportunity to fish out unusual clues. Sometimes the background noise from a call may provide the call recipient with a clue about the caller’s whereabouts. Whatever happens, it is absolutely imperative that the employee does not hang up or disconnect the call intentionally under the belief that the call is a hoax! Remain on the line and document everything!

Some bomb threats are sent through the postal service. The envelope that the threat was received in and the letter containing the threat should be read carefully and then saved. Authorities and emergency personnel should be contacted and an emergency plan should be immediately enacted to keep all individuals at the location safe from harm in the event that the bomb threat is real. Some bomb threats are also sent via email. The email should be printed and stored on the computer. Again, the authorities can use the documentation as evidence.

Business owners should have a checklist of instructions nearby at least one telephone in every room for use when a bomb threat occurs. A list featuring what questions to ask and what people to notify can prove convenient in a stressful time.

After a bomb threat is received there are several things that can happen. The first thing that must happen is that the authorities be notified of the situation. In some instances, the bomb threat call, when utterly convincing, will call for an immediate evacuation of the location. In other instances, the authorities may have time to come to the location, do a sweep of the site, and look for the device in question.

Most establishments have an emergency plan that is to be enacted when a bomb threat occurs. Some of the steps may vary but most emergency plans have common denominators – below is a list of measures typically taken during a bomb threat:

1. The initial threat: The initial threat is received. Information is documented.

2. Business higher ups are notified and given the full details of the call or mailed threat.

3. The police and fire department are immediately notified.

5. The instructions of the authorities are to be followed carefully in every given situation.

An emergency plan will require a search plan and an evacuation plan, thereby covering both possibilities in the event of a bomb threat. Search plans are plans that should be practiced regularly – perhaps once quarterly or once every six months. Employees can have designated areas of the location where they will be required to have a familiarity with and they will then be called upon to search if and when a search becomes appropriate. When searching, what is an employee supposed to look for? That depends – in general, the employee or staff member should merely look around and see if something looks different, out of place or unusual. Anything that may be new or something that is suddenly missing should be noted and any devices that they are not familiar with should also be noted.

Searches may be conducted before or after an evacuation, depending upon the situation. A search must possess some sense of organization and should therefore have someone in control. The individual that is responsible for heading up searches should make sure that a plan is carefully followed, that one or two staff members are assigned specific locations, and that the entire location is checked from top to bottom. A search map is appropriate and a search checklist for each staff member is also appropriate.

When searching areas, thoroughness is a must. An individual searching a given area needs to be on the ball – searching every nook and cranny of a given space. It is recommended that a room be searched in sections and that the individual do several sweeps of a room before considering it clear. Everything from the floor to shelves, from closets to ceiling tiles should be checked.

Notifying employees or staff members about a bomb threat may have to be conducted in secret to prevent a panic among other employees. If this is necessary, there are a number of methods for communicating the need to commence a search -- either via two-way radio, telephone, intercom and code sharing, or paging systems.

When an employee does discover something unusual, the item is not to be touched. Evacuation procedures should begin and the authorities should be made aware of the items.

Evacuation is something else that requires both planning and regular practice. Employees and staff should be trained to exit the building quietly and quickly when given specific cues, like the sound of an alarm. Evacuation can take the passage that a fire alarm would take – employees can utilize the exits designated if there were a fire and most establishments have all of the exits carefully marked. Employees should move a safe distance from the building and personal belongings should be left inside the building – personal safety should be the only concern. Disabled employees may require assistance evacuating and this should be considered and addressed. Practice evacuation procedures should be conducted regularly – some establishments practice them eight times a year, and others practice evacuation semi-annually.

Every emergency plan should be updated regularly. The layout of the location may change, the members of the staff may change, and myriad changes can alter the effectiveness of a search and evacuation plan. It is a good idea to refresh security plans at least once a year. When the plan has been refreshed, employees should be notified immediately of any changes.

1. Employees should refrain from using the elevators to exit the building and should rely on the stairs.

2. Employees should remain calm and should exit the building quickly but calmly. People in a panic may trample one another to get out of the building. The higher ups in charge of the evacuation should do everything they can to keep everyone calm and collected.

3. After a building is completely evacuated, there should be a final sweep conducted of the entire building to make sure that everyone has gotten out of the building safely. The employees that are familiar with the building and that are responsible for searching designated areas should be selected to search for any employees left behind.

4. Once the building has been evacuated, no one should be allowed to return to the building until it has been deemed clear by the authorities.

5. If a practice evacuation reveals some discrepancies in how the evacuation should be performed, or if there are problems identified in practice evaluations, those problems should be immediately addressed and rectified.