Bomb Threat - What happens next?

Immediate Response

Upon notification of a bomb threat, University Security will contact the Police to report the threat. Information about the type of threat, location and particulars will be given. A Security Officer will be sent to the scene to maintain on-site communications.

Information to staff and students on what to do next will be provided based on feedback from the Police. Police Officers will want to speak directly with the person discovering or receiving the bomb threat. In order to eliminate the threat as a hoax, detailed information on the caller or device will assist.

The Police will make a decision on whether to evacuate based on advice from the Bomb Squad, emergency services and the University Emergency Controller. If the device or threat indicates that it is very real, the evacuation order may be initially issued by phone, or in person soon after the Police arrive.

In order to prevent panic the evacuation should be conducted in the normal way. At no time should the reason for the evacuation be broadcast over public address systems or in person. You should not use the fire alarm system to evacuate the building, utilise the EWIS or Wardens to evacuate the building.

Evacuations may incorporate many buildings surrounding the hot zone where the bomb or substance is located. Coordination of this evacuation will be achieved using the individual Building Emergency Controllers for each building and the Security Manager and/or Emergency Management Coordinator.

Precautions:

• The use of portable radios within close proximity of the device is not recommended.
• The evacuation assembly area should be a considerable distance away and shielded from the bomb site by other structures.
• Evacuees may be restricted from re-entering their buildings for many hours. Consider moving people to another building under cover with toilets etc.
• Assembly areas should be checked by Police (as soon as possible) to ensure they are free of secondary bomb devices.

Bomb Squad

The Police and Army have bomb technicians trained in managing explosive devices. The Police will utilise these highly trained teams to locate, identify, disable or destroy the device. The bomb squad will also be mindful of the investigation that will follow this incident and do everything possible to make the scene safe without destroying the evidence. With this in mind, be aware that some incidents may last for many hours, typically around 6-8 hours.

Hazardous Materials

If the threat is a hazardous or unknown substance the Fire Brigade Hazardous Chemicals Response Unit will be requested by the Police. The fire brigade have specialist teams trained in managing hazardous chemicals and unknown substances.

This response will involve a number of fire trucks and specialist vehicles. Fire fighters in self contained breathing apparatus and hazardous chemical protection suits will locate, identify, dilute or contain the substances involved. Large plastic containers suitable for transport will be used to take the substances away for testing and disposal.

Return to Work

The Police in conjunction with the University will be keeping affected staff and students updated as often as possible. The Police will issue the "return to work" when the scene has been declared safe. It is possible that the area may be damaged or kept secure as a crime scene and not able to be used for some time.