Bomb Threats at Office Buildings
As dissatisfied people may use "bomb threats" to disrupt
work, it may be inappropriate to evacuate a building on every threat. A
prompt decision of whether or not to evacuate can be made following a
search.
A Bomb is Threatened
Immediately after a bomb threat, the person receiving the
threat can:
- Contact the Building Manager / Emergency Coordinator, Police Department and
Fire Department
- Complete a Bomb Threat Report
immediately. The results should be
available to Police and Fire Department employees, upon their
arrival.
- The Building Manager / Emergency Coordinator can alert all
office managers.
- Staff can make quick inspections of their rooms and
work areas using the Search Guidelines
- Custodians can inspect boiler rooms, cafeterias,
hallways and lavatories using the Search Guidelines.
- If anything unusual is found, the person making the discovery
should
notify the emergency coordinator or administrator BUT DO NOTHING ELSE.
Decision to Evacuate
If the threat seems to warrant it, the Building Manager /
Emergency Coordinator can decide to evacuate the building.
Otherwise, the Building Manager / Emergency Coordinator, together with the Police
and Fire Department personnel, can evaluate search results. (See
Suspected Bombs or Devices.)
Following reports from all searchers that no unfamiliar
objects have been found, a senior administrator may decide not to evacuate
the building and instead signal "all clear".
Clearing the Building and Surrounding Area
- Notice to clear an office building can be made over a PA system or with the
Fire Alarm. No notice need be given that the call may be a hoax.
- A principal can establish an assembly location for
staff to wait
during delayed searches in cold or wet weather. That location will be used
at the direction of the administrator after it has been determined to be safe.
- Officials can go room to room to evacuate, stating "This
is a drill".
- IMPORTANT: Request
employees to take their belongings (i.e. briefcases,
notebook computers, etc.) from their offices when they leave the building,
to avoid complicating the search.
- Ask employees to exit the building directly and proceed
to the agreed meeting point.
- A decision to allow re-entry can be made jointly by senior on-site
officers from the Fire Department, Police Department and/or Building
Administration.
| Martyn Carruthers
was a medical technician and served on Royal Navy nuclear
submarines during the Cold War. He was health physics and
safety officer at English and Canadian nuclear power stations, and Radiation
Protection Officer for the Canadian government, where he worked with Public Health
and Emergency Measures organizations. Martyn also founded
Soulwork
Solutions,
a complete system of effective coaching and mentorship. |
|
