Page 22 - Campus Security & Life Safety, April 2017

THREAT PREPARATION
AN INCREASE IN BOMB THREATS
How educational institutions need to prepare and communicate By Scott McGrath
A RECENT STUDY BY THE EDUCATOR’S SCHOOL SAFETY NETWORK NOTES THAT “BOMB SCARES” HAVE INCREASED—MORE THAN 106 PERCENT IN THE 2015- 16 SCHOOL YEAR FROM THE 2012-13 SCHOOL YEAR. CONTRARY TO WHAT MANY BELIEVE, PHONE AND SUS- PICIOUS PACKAGE THREATS AREN’T JUST “END OF SCHOOL YEAR” EVENTS DESIGNED TO DODGE EXAMS, BUT APPEAR EVENLY DISTRIBUTED ACROSS THE FULL SCHOOL YEAR.
The study examines the trends and the evolving risks of school safe- ty in the wake of terrorist attacks in both the U.S. and abroad, and reaches an alarming conclusion: “Based on our analysis of bomb threat data and trends, the sobering reality is that an explosive device WILL be detonated in an American school with significant consequences, and we must be ready.”
This dire threat assessment, combined with a steady increase of bomb scares and a clear trend line, is pushing school safety officials to new levels of preparation. The study points out that despite the trends, the majority of bomb threats are false alarms. The risk is complacency. One incendiary device among thousands of incidents may have tragic consequences in a school.
PREPARATIONS
Bomb scare incidents may take several forms: 1. Phone call to the school system
2. Verbal threats heard by students, staff or faculty
3. Written threats delivered by mail or left on premises 4. Emailed threats or posts on social networks
5. Suspicious packages detected
Each has its own response characteristics and the Department of Homeland Security provides excellent resources to assist in response planning: A resource page at “What To Do – Bomb Threat”, a robust 2016 PDF brochure with clear instructions called Bomb Threat Guid- ance, and a very widely used Bomb Threat Checklist that many insti- tution use as a template provided to key staff likeliest to receive threatening calls on official lines. The resource page also offers links to resources and training opportunities for facilities managers and safety personnel.
These resources provide robust best practices for planning and preparation. The Checklist in particular offers specific guidance to managing phone threats—what questions to ask the caller, what to listen for, how to focus on the call to maximize the information you collect on a threat call.
COMMUNICATIONS PRIORITIES
In the event of a bomb threat most responses include evacuations, lockdowns, or closures. In this regard, communications are critical. The priorities in first response to a threat are ensuring mobilization of critical responders and the tasks of ensuring that individuals evacuate premises quickly and effectively. This official messaging informs the
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