Purpose

To provide guidelines for action after a bomb threat is received.

Policy

Any person receiving a bomb threat will attempt to obtain as much information about the threat as possible. Reference to the attached bomb threat questionnaire will provide guidelines to the information sought if the threat is delivered by telephone. Threats on notes or similar "not live" communications will be preserved and forwarded to appropriate authorities. Threats will be evaluated on their individual circumstances. The decision to evacuate will come after circumstances of the threat are evaluated. All threats ultimately will be forwarded to City of Ripon Police for investigative purposes.

Background information

Bomb threats are a serious occurrence that may lead to destruction of property and loss of life. Bomb threat may just be threats that lead to disruption of scheduled activities.

Questionnaire for Telephone Reception

1. In what building is the bomb located?
2. Where in the building is the bomb located?
3. When is the bomb going to explode?
4. What does the bomb look like?
5. What will make the bomb detonate?
6. Why did you plant the bomb?
7. What is your name?

Listen to background noises and accents or other characteristics of the caller's voice. These may provide clues to assist police investigations. Document these observations for Police information.

The person receiving the bomb threat should report to the Physical Plant office in Pickard Commons and remain there until the police of campus administrators have had a chance to debrief the receiver of the call.

Notification

After a bomb threat has been received the following notifications should be made as soon as possible.

Initiate administration notification by calling extension 703 on a campus telephone. Determine a meeting place so that any information received can be relayed for further action determination.

The receiver of the 703 call will call the following administrator. If the first cannot be reached within one minute, the second on the list should be called, and so on.

Phone numbers: work (ext.)

• Director of Physical Plant: 748-8(174)
• Assistant Dir. of Physical Plant: 748-8(173)
• President: 748-8(118)
• Vice President of Finance: 748-8(109)
• Director of Residence Life: 748-8(146
  
  The first administrator reached will assemble members of the Crisis Management Team as described in the Emergency Management Disaster/Crisis Plan.
  
  The City of Ripon Public Safety Agencies at 748-2888 should be included in team activities.

Evacuation

• Building evacuations will be for entire buildings, i.e., evacuations will not be for a specific floor or wing.
• Evacuation routes are posted in all buildings, and occupants should be familiar with evacuation routes.
• When a building is evacuated for a bomb threat, consideration should be given to adjacent buildings if the adjacent building is within 1,000 feet of the primary evacuation building.
• People initiating the evacuation notice should not initiate the evacuation in a manner that would cause panic. Phrases like "evacuate immediately because a bomb threat has been received" should be avoided.
• Instead, phrases like "evacuation of the building is necessary until this immediate situation is investigated" should be used.
• When a building is evacuated, re-entry should not occur until a senior college administrator has approved re-entry with City of Ripon Public Safety Officials.