BOMB THREAT PROCEDURES: STAFF PERSONNEL

Bomb Threat Procedures: Staff Personnel
by Dana Turner, BOL Guru

PURPOSE: The purpose of this section is to define and describe acceptable staff procedures for preventing or responding to a bomb threat, to avoid confusion and to assign responsibility for the performance of necessary tasks.

POLICY: It is the institution's policy that all employees will take extraordinary measures to ensure their own safety and the safety of other persons who may become involved in a bomb event, including:

Recognizing that delivering a bomb threat is primarily a business crime;
Caring for their own safety first, before considering others' safety;
Complying with the offender's demands, if it's possible; and
Facilitating the offender's successful delivery of the bomb threat, if it's possible.

Staff employees are responsible for taking preventive measures to reduce the potential of a bomb being placed within the facility, including:

Constantly remaining aware of their surroundings and their geographic location;
Becoming and remaining familiar with all areas of your facility and with the things that should be in those locations;
Carefully following facility entry and exit safety measures;
Observing, acting upon and reporting any unusual incidents and behavior;
Knowing what to do during a bomb threat, including:

Knowing procedures to follow during emergency responses;
Studying procedures;
Reviewing suspect description and reporting forms;
Insuring that the workstation in use contains all emergency forms, and that the surrounding areas are kept free from debris and other items that may conceal a bomb; and
Knowing the locations and capabilities of security devices;

Not discussing personal and business issues with non-employees, including:

Institution and employee information;
Physical layout of the office;
Personal matters;
Details of cash- and document-handling procedures;
Transportation route information; and
Security procedures.

Staff employees are responsible for taking appropriate measures to protect themselves and to assist a law enforcement agency during a bomb threat, including:

Remembering that your primary responsibility is to help the police find the bomb;
Completing the appropriate form and asking all questions, if it's possible, because the primary purpose of the person receiving the threat call is to keep the caller on the telephone line while obtaining as much information as possible;
Notifying the nearest supervisor or the Unit Security Officer of the bomb threat at the earliest opportunity;
Keeping the telephone line on which the call was received open for the duration of the event and ensuring that any notifications are made on alternate telephone lines;
Doing exactly what the offender commands, including:

Repeating the commands back to the offender if you can;
Telling the offender, "I'll do exactly what you tell me to do";
Not making any comments that threaten the offender;
Attempt to develop rapport with the offender by developing a "relationship";
Agreeing to do whatever the offender tells you to do;
Promising not to call the police;
Suggesting that the Unit Security Officer should talk with the caller;
Remaining as the offender's contact person for the duration of the incident, if practical, if the caller specifically demands it;
Remaining the only person talking with the caller but having another employee monitor the call, and each employee is responsible for completing the appropriate form;
After receiving the initial message, asking the caller to repeat the message for clarity; and
Remembering that no employee is to act in any way that might endanger his/her safety, or the safety of another person.

Staff employees are responsible for continuing to take appropriate and timely measures to protect themselves and to assist a law enforcement agency after a bomb threat, including:

Immediately notifying the Unit Security Officer;
Being assigned to the Unit Security Officer handling the bomb threat call for the duration of the incident;
Awaiting further instructions from the Unit Security Officer;
Following the instructions received from the Unit Security Officer, any on-site supervisor or a representative of the responsible law enforcement agency;
Not activating the robbery alarms in response to any bomb threat call;
Any other employees witnessing unusual or suspicious activities within or around the office during the call are to immediately report this information to the Unit Security Officer;
Searching the areas immediately surrounding their workstations and reporting objects that are unusual or suspicious, remembering that no employee will touch or disturb the object;
If the office is evacuated, all persons leaving the building will be guided to the appropriate emergency staging area(s) by members of the emergency evacuation team;
Identifying witnesses and asking them to remain, pending contact by the law enforcement agency;
Remaining at the emergency staging area until they are authorized to leave by the Unit Security Officer or the Security Director;
Completing reports and forms as it's appropriate; and
Referring all requests for interviews by the media to the law enforcement agency or the Security Director.