The person receiving a bomb threat call should not attempt to make a judgment of the call’s validity. What may appear on the surface to be a hoax may be planned to appear just that way. All parties in the building should follow through with the established procedures, regardless of appearances. Cooperation with the emergency agencies of the city, training of personnel and tenants, and testing of the procedures periodically will hold the potential risk to a minimum.
A. Basic Tenant Responsibilities
- Each tenant should brief the telephone receptionist on bomb threat procedures.
- Each tenant should have a copy of the Bomb Threat Checklist near the receptionist’s telephone (see attached checklist at the end of this section).
B. Bomb Threat Emergency Threats
- Receiving Telephone Threats
- When a bomb threat is received by telephone, immediately ask the caller the questions listed on the Bomb Threat Checklist. This information will be extremely helpful to the police.
- After the caller has hung up, immediately fill out the remaining portion of the Bomb Threat Checklist. This information will be extremely helpful to the police.
- Notify the Management Office (303) 534-6611 that you have received a bomb threat. They will call the police.
- Do not make statements to newspapers, radio or television news. Leave that to the police.
- When a bomb threat is received by telephone, immediately ask the caller the questions listed on the Bomb Threat Checklist. This information will be extremely helpful to the police.
- Receiving Written Threats
- Written threats are less frequent than telephone threats but must be considered just as carefully.
- Avoid physical handling of the written threat. Evidence will be analyzed by the police department for fingerprints, postmarks, handwriting, and typewriting.
- Notify the Management Office (303) 534-6611 that you have received a written threat. They will call the police.
- Tenant Searching Procedures
- The police will not search an area after receiving a bomb threat.
- It will be the responsibility of each tenant to decide if their employees are to search tenant areas such as coatrooms, conference rooms, computer rooms, and workstations. You know better than anyone what items are familiar to your space.
- If a suspected device is found, do not touch it. Contact the Management Office (303) 534-6611 and clear the immediate area. Guard the area, keeping people away, until a police officer checks the device.
- If the police officer believes the suspected device to be a bomb, his/her authority immediately exceeds that of the tenant or Landlord and his/her instructions are to be followed.
- Two-way radios and cell phones should never be utilized in the area of a suspected device.
- The police will not search an area after receiving a bomb threat.
- Building Management Searching Procedures
- If the location is unknown, the Building Management team will implement searching procedures. These areas include, but are not limited to, mechanical rooms, stairwells, parking garage, and exterior areas.
- If the location is unknown, the Building Management team will implement searching procedures. These areas include, but are not limited to, mechanical rooms, stairwells, parking garage, and exterior areas.
- Evacuation
- Evacuation of the building is a decision to be made by each tenant or the police or fire department officials only. Building Management will not make the decision to evacuate the building.
- In the event the decision to evacuate is made, the fastest route to safety will be the stairwells.
- Contact the Management Office (303) 534-6611 and inform them of the decision to evacuate. Building Management will inform the police and/or fire department of that decision.