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How to Handle a Bomb Threat

Whether it's an anonymous phone call, a suspicious package or a cryptic note, the clock is ticking. Here's what to do before and during a bomb threat.

Based on recommendations from the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, the checklist should include the time the call was received; the actual words used by the caller; and any specific information given—such as the location of the bomb, the time it is set to explode, a description of the device or the reason for the threat. On the checklist, callers are also asked to describe the voice of the caller by approximate age and gender, as well as any background noise they may have heard, such as street noises, machinery, a motor or a public address system.

“We also encourage the [call taker] to engage with them further, by saying, ‘Can you repeat that?’” says William Daly, national practice leader for security consulting at Control Risks Group, based in London. “Be sure they capture as much information as they can” and write down any phone numbers that may come up on caller ID.

While a paper checklist may be most practical, some companies offer instant access to the checklist by pressing a Function key on any employee’s PC. The key also immediately alerts the security staff to the incoming threat.

Once the employee takes the call, he should immediately contact the director of security or the head of the facility, Daly says. In a plant facility, call the plant manager’s office. “Make the decision quickly,” he adds.

3 Determine the credibility of a threat.

Look at the specificity of the threat, the type of premises being threatened and the history of bomb threats within your industry, geographic area and staff.

Director of Security Bonnie Michelman has handled several bomb threats during her 15 years at Massachusetts General Hospital, and all have turned out to be benign. She says the caller checklist can be critical in determining the credibility of a threat.

“Sometimes it’s pretty easy to [ascertain the validity of the threat] by asking the caller, ‘Where is the bomb located?’ If they give an area that your institution doesn’t even have, or a floor that’s above what you have, it’s pretty clear” that it’s a hoax, she says. Likewise, “if somebody gives you a very specific location” and seems to know the facility, “that’s more credible and makes it a lot easier to do an initial search.”

It’s also important to keep a history of disgruntled employees, customers or patients to help determine who might be calling. If the caller offers a reason for the threat, such as a lost job or anger at a business practice, “we would be more concerned at that point and have a more focused investigation,” Daly says.