Bomb Threat
A bomb threat may be received by phone or mail at any time. Thousands of bomb threats
are received and fortunately most of them are just that - threats. However, every threat
should be taken seriously and investigated.
WRITTEN THREATS
For a letter or parcel bomb look for: excessive postage; no return address; excessive weight;
incorrect titles; restrictive markings, such as confidential or personal; oily stains or
discolorations. (See next page for additional recognition points.)
Save all materials, envelopes and containers. Avoid unnecessary handling to preserve
fingerprints, handwriting, printing, postmarks, etc. Preservation of evidence is essential.
Upon receipt of a written threat or suspicious package:
- Prevent anyone else from handling it.
- Call the Police Department. Notify the Fire Safety Director and your Suite Warden or Floor Warden.
- Follow instructions of Emergency Personnel.
TELEPHONE THREATS
The majority of threats are communicated by the telephone. Remain calm. Write down the
exact wording of the threat. Ask questions, for example:
When is the bomb going to explode?
Where is it right now?
What does it look like?
Why are you doing this?
Note background sounds, caller's voice and accents. Do not put the caller on hold, and don't
hang up until the caller does.
Upon receiving a telephone threat:
- 1. Immediately notify the Police Department, Fire Safety Director and your Suite Warden or Floor Warden.
- 2. Fill out a telephone bomb threat questionnaire as soon as possible. (See Bomb Threat Report Form)
- 3. Follow instructions of Emergency Personnel.
WARNING!
LETTER AND PARCEL BOMB
RECOGNITION POINTS
- Foreign Mail, Air Mail and Special Delivery
- Restrictive Markings such as Confidential, Personal, etc.
- Excessive Postage
- Hand Written or Poorly Typed Addresses
- Incorrect Titles
- Titles but No Names
- Misspellings of Common Words
- Oily Stains or Discolorations
- No Return Address
- Excessive Weight
- Rigid Envelope
- Lopsided or Uneven Envelope
- Protruding Wires or Tinfoil
- Excessive Securing Material such as Masking Tape, String, etc.
- Visual Distractions
BOMB THREAT CHECK LIST
QUESTIONS TO ASK: CALLER’S VOICE:
1. When is the bomb going to explode? ____ Calm ____ Nasal
____ Angry ____ Stutter
2. Where is it right now? ____ Excited ____ Lisp
____ Slow ____ Raspy
3. What does it look like? ____ Rapid ____ Deep
____ Soft ____ Ragged
4. What kind of bomb is it? ____ Loud ____ Clearing Throat
____ Laughter ____ Deep breathing
5. What will cause it to explode? ____ Crying ____ Cracking Voice
____ Normal ____ Disguised
6. Did you place the bomb? ____ Distinct ____ Accent
____ Slurred ____ Familiar
7. Why?
If voice is familiar, whom did it sound like?
8. What is your address? _________________________________
9. What is your name?
EXACT WORDING OF THE THREAT BACKGROUND SOUNDS:
______________________________ ____ Street noises ____ Factory
______________________________ ____ Crockery ____ Machinery
______________________________ ____ PA system ____ Animal Noises
______________________________ ____ Music ____ Static
______________________________ ____ House noises ____ Local
______________________________ ____ Motor ____ Long Distance
______________________________ ____ Cellular ____ Phone Booth
SEX OF CALLER: _______________ ____ Office machinery
RACE:_________________AGE:____ ____ Other: ________________________
LENGTH OF CALL:_______________
THREAT LANGUAGE:
Number at which call was received: ____ Well spoken ____ Incoherent
______________________________ (Educated) ____ Taped
TIME:____________ DATE: __/__/__ ____ Foul ____ Message read
____ Irrational
NAME: ________________________ REMARKS: _______________________
POSITION: _____________________ __________________________________
PHONE NUMBER: _______________ __________________________________
KEEP CALLER ON PHONE AS LONG AS POSSIBLE. DON’T HANG UP.
SEARCH PROCEDURES
It is very important that someone familiar with the area, search the area. Look for anything
unusual or out of place. You are looking for something that should not be there. Explosives
can be packaged in a variety of containers. The container is likely to be a common article
such as a shoe box, cigar box, a book, a grocery bag, an athletic bag, an airline bag, a
suitcase, an attache case or briefcase. Anything that does not belong or whose presence
cannot be explained is a "suspicious" object. For example: a book in the restroom, or a
package in the stairwell, etc.
A search begins with the following sequence:
1. Outside areas - shrubs, trash, parking area.
2. Public areas - building entrance, lobby, stairwells, restrooms, elevators, etc.
3. Floors - start with the basement and move upwards.
4. Rooms - start at outside walls and move towards center of room.
If a suspicious object is found:
1. Clear the immediate area.
2. Notify your Supervisor or Suite/Floor Warden. Report findings. Give description of
object: size, color, markings, etc. Give location of object: the building, floor, room
number, location within room and proximity to utilities.
3. UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES SHOULD ANYONE TOUCH, OPEN, OR IN ANY WAY
HANDLE THE SUSPECTED BOMB OR DEVICE.
4. Begin evacuation procedures. Leave doors open to provide explosion relief. (Explosions
will follow the path of least resistance.)
5. Follow Suite/Floor Warden's instructions and evacuate the building.
6. Proceed to a safe refuge area (a minimum of 300-500 feet from the building). This area
cannot be preselected. It may vary depend upon the location of the ‘device’.
7. Do not reenter building until instructed to do so.
8. Remain calm and do not spread rumors.
SEARCH TEAM
Building Staff: search all exit paths including stairwells and elevator cabs,
common areas, parking levels and the perimeter of the building.
Suite/Floor Wardens: search their immediate area, corridor and elevator lobby. Check
stairwells - one floor up and one floor down.
Monitors: search their immediate areas and public areas on their floor, ie.
restrooms and elevator lobby.
Report all findings to the Police Department.
Occupants should search only their immediate areas and report the results of their search to
the Suite/Floor Warden. Occupants should unlock desks, lockers, file cabinets and turn off
office machinery, but leave lights on. When evacuating, remove all personal items including
purses, attache cases, packages and lunch boxes which might cause unnecessary wasted
searching efforts. Leave windows and doors open.
If an evacuation is ordered, all evacuation routes MUST be checked first.
During a search, do not use two-way radios, cellular phone and other electronic paging
devices that receive and transmit signals since any of these could trigger or detonate an
explosive device.
If lights are off, leave them off.
REMEMBER: outside to inside, lowest level to highest and DO NOT TOUCH ANYTHING
SUSPICIOUS.