Bomb Threats

If you receive a bomb threat by telephone, here are some helpful things to keep in mind:

• Remain calm. When the bomb threat is received, the person taking the call must remain calm and obtain as much information as possible.
• DO NOT put the caller on hold.
• DO NOT attempt to transfer the call.
• The person taking the call should immediately notify another staff person in the office, preferably while the caller is still on the line.
• Pay attention to the caller and his/her words and speech: does the caller have any distinguishing voice characteristics such as an accent, stuttering or mispronunciations?
• Is the caller angry, excited, irrational or agitated?
• Is the caller a man or woman, young, middle-aged or old?
• If you have caller ID, note the phone number of the caller.
• Listen for background noises (traffic, train whistle, music, radio, TV, children, airplanes, etc).
• It is important to document all that you know and hear. This should include filling out the Bomb Threat Checklist (see below).
• Call the Office of Public Safety at 911 from a campus phone or 607-274-3333 from a cell phone.
• Do not evacuate until told to do so by the Office of Public Safety.

Bomb Threat Checklist

• Stay calm and collect all the information you can. Take notice of the caller’s voice and listen for any background noise.
• Name of call taker.
• Date and time received.
• Way threat was reported (telephone, e-mail, in person, by mail).
• Location threatened.
• Exact words used to make threat.

Questions to Ask the Person Making the Threat

• When is the bomb going to explode?
• Where is the bomb located?
• What kind of bomb is it?
• What does it look like?
• Who placed the bomb?
• Why was the bomb placed?
• Where are you calling from?