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Bomb Threats at Schools

Appropriate Responses following Bomb Threats

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Bomb Threats at Schools

As dissatisfied students may use "bomb threats" to disrupt classes, it may be inappropriate to evacuate a school on every threat. A prompt decision of whether or not to evacuate can be made following a search for unknown devices.

A Bomb is Threatened

Immediately after a bomb threat, the person receiving the threat can:

• Contact the Principal / Assistant Principal, Police Department and Fire Department
• Inform the School Superintendent's office of the bomb threat. The School Superintendent can inform School Committee members.
• Complete a Bomb Threat Report immediately. This should be available to Police and Fire Department, upon their arrival.
• The Principal / Assistant Principal can alert all staff using an established code.
• Teachers can make a quick inconspicuous visual inspection of their rooms using the Search Guidelines.
• Custodians can inspect boiler rooms, cafeterias, hallways, and lavatories using the Search Guidelines.  If anything unusual is noticed, the person making the discovery will notify the administrator in charge BUT DO NOTHING ELSE.

Decision to Evacuate

If the threat seems to warrant it, the Principal or Assistant Principal may decide to evacuate the building.

Otherwise, the Principal / Assistant Principal, together with the Police and Fire Department personnel, can evaluate information. (See Bombs or Suspicious Devices.)

Following reports from all staff members that no unfamiliar objects have been found, an administrator may decide not to evacuate the school and can signal an "all clear".

Clearing the School and Surrounding Area

1. Notice to clear a school 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.
2. A principal can establish an assembly location for students to wait during delayed searches in cold or wet weather. That location will be used at the direction of the principal after it has been determined to be safe.
3. Officials can go room to room to evacuate, stating "This is a drill".
4. IMPORTANT: Request students to take all their belongings (i.e. backpacks, notebooks, etc.) which they have with them in the classrooms when they leave the classrooms.
5. Do not allow students to take anything from their lockers
6. A decision to allow re-entry shall be made jointly by senior on-site officers from the Fire Department, Police Department and/or School Administration. Any difference of opinion shall be resolved by decision of the Principal upon consultation with the Superintendent of Schools.
7. A decision to evacuate a school can be conveyed to the school bus service (see C).

If a school must be evacuated, notify the school bus service. Students can be walked in an orderly fashion, keeping as far from the building as possible, to their appropriate school bus.

BOMB THREAT - Report of Threat

BOMB THREAT - Search Guidelines

BOMB THREAT - Suspicious Device Found

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