Phone Threats

An accurate analysis of the telephone threat can provide valuable information on which to base recommendations, action and subsequent investigations. The person receiving the bomb threat by telephone should not disconnect the call and, as soon as possible, complete the information required on the bomb threat checklist.

1. Immediately report the call using another telephone to University Security on 8344 6666 and the bomb threat to your supervisor.
2. If examinations are being held in the building under threat the call must also be reported to the Director, Academic & Student Services 8344 4784.
3. Do NOT activate the fire alarm or emergency evacuation system unless instructed to by the Police.

Such threats will undergo a basic validation criteria in order to rank their potentiality and the Police will be in the best position to judge this. As a general rule of thumb, the more detail contained in the threat language combined with a willingness to mention names and reasons will be deemed to be a more "genuine" threat than one that provides only the slightest of details.

Typical Phone Threat Questions

If you receive a bomb or substance phone threat, you should try to ask these types of questions (only a small sample):

1. What is it?
2. When is the bomb going to explode? or When will the substance be released?
3. Where did you put it?
4. What does it look like?
5. When did you put it there?
6. How will the bomb explode? or How will the substance be released?
7. Did you put it there?
8. Why did you put it there?

A handy phone threat checklist should be kept near your phone to use if you find yourself in this situation.