Policy 08

University of Wisconsin-Parkside
Bomb Threats
Policy #8

I. CAMPUS TELEPHONE PROCEDURE

A bomb threat against the University may be received at any time by any person. Phone or mail threats may be received at the Administrative Offices, Student Organization Offices, University Police & Public Safety or may be directed to the City Police Department or County Sheriff's Department. Any staff member receiving a telephone bomb threat should make every effort to follow the procedure outlined below.

1. Remain calm. Keep the caller on the line as long as possible. Most bomb threat calls are very brief. The caller normally states his/her message in a few words and hangs up; however, where possible, every effort should be made to obtain detailed information from the caller such as:
   
   
2. 1. Exact location of the bomb.
      
   2. Time bomb is set to go off.
      
   3. Description of bomb.
      
   4. Reason for call or threat.
      
      
2. Advise the caller that the buildings are occupied and the detonation of a bomb could result in death or serious injury to many innocent people.
   
   
3. Record every word spoken by the person making the call. Ask the caller to repeat the message. Note such details about the call, such as:
   
   
4. 1. Date and time of call.
      
   2. Exact language used.
      
   3. Sex of caller.
      
   4. Approximate age of caller.
      
   5. Peculiar or identifiable accent or speech impediment.
      
   6. Possible race.
   7. Identifiable background noises such as jukebox music, voices, machines, animals, etc., which might give even a remote clue as to the place from which the call is being made.
   8. Is the caller's voice loud, calm, muffled, excited, irrational, crude?
   9. Did the caller appear to be familiar with the campus?
      
      
4. Fill out a "Bomb Threat Report" while taking the call or as soon as possible after the call. Remember the sooner you make this report out while the facts are still fresh in your mind the more accurate the report will be. This report will be picked up by a University Police & Public Safety officer within a half hour of the call.
   
   
5. Immediately after the caller hangs up call University Police & Public Safety at Extension 2911.
   
   
6. If the threat involves your area, take a visual inspection of your surroundings to see if there is anything unusual or out of place. DO NOT TOUCH ANYTHING! If you find something, call University Police & Public Safety immediately.
   
   
7. Threats received by letter should be preserved for investigation by the University Police & Public Safety Department for possible fingerprints and should not be handled once the letter has been opened.
   
   
8. DO NOT DISCUSS THE CALL WITH OTHER PERSONNEL!!

II. NOTIFICATION/INITIAL RESPONSIBILITIES

A. Dispatch Responsibilities:

1. University Police & Public Safety dispatcher, upon receiving or being notified of the receipt of a bomb threat, shall immediately notify a University Police & Public Safety administrator (Director, Asst. Director or University Police & Public Safety Supervisor 1) of the situation.
2. 1. If the administrator is on campus, notification will be made via telephone or personal contact. Do not broadcast information concerning the bomb threat via radio.
      
      
   2. If the administrator is not on campus, notify the correct on-call supervisor via telephone and/or pager.
      
      
2. University Police & Public Safety dispatcher must notify on-duty officers of the bomb threat via telephone or personal contact. Do not broadcast information concerning the bomb threat via radio.
   
   
3. Other UW-Parkside university administrators (Chancellor, Provost/Vice-Chancellor, Vice Chancellor for Administrative & Fiscal Affairs, Executive Director for University Advancement) will be notified of the bomb threat by the dispatcher and/or University Police & Public Safety administrator.
   
   
4. Kenosha Sheriff's Department will be notified of the bomb threat by the dispatcher. Remind them not to broadcast information concerning the bomb threat via radio. Do not request Kenosha Sheriff Department or Kenosha Fire Department to respond to campus, unless specifically instructed to do so by University Police & Public Safety administration.
   
   
5. If necessary and instructed to do so by a University Police & Public Safety administrator, the dispatcher will contact off-duty University Police & Public Safety officers to have them report to the campus.

B. University Police & Public Safety Administrator Responsibilities

1. Upon receiving notification of a bomb threat, the University Police & Public Safety administrator shall insure the dispatcher understands and completes the dispatcher responsibilities. In all incidents, the Director of University Police & Public Safety must be notified of the situation.
   
   
2. University Police & Public Safety administrator, if on campus, shall establish a command center to coordinate the exchange of information and/or response actions. The actual location of this command center may vary depending upon the information provided in the bomb threat.
   
   
3. If not on campus, the University Police & Public Safety administrator must provide direction to officers on duty as to the appropriate initial response actions that shall be undertaken. The University Police & Public Safety administrator shall also immediately respond to the campus to coordinate all aspects of the incident.

C. University Police & Public Safety Officer Responsibilities

1. Upon receiving notification of a bomb threat, University Police & Public Safety officers shall respond in a calm and professional manner to all procedures established and/or instructions given concerning this type of situation.
   
   
2. If no University Police & Public Safety administrator is on campus, the officer with the most seniority and/or highest classification (PO1, PO2, PO3) will be in command until relieved by a University Police & Public Safety administrator. It will be that officer's responsibility to implement the appropriate response procedures.
   
   
3. University Police & Public Safety officers must keep all information concerning a bomb threat strictly confidential, unless specifically instructed to provide information to others. Information shall be disseminated on an absolute need-to-know basis and only to those persons directly involved with decision-making responsibilities or response actions to this situation.
   
   
4. If and when directed to do so, University Police & Public Safety officers shall participate in bomb search and/or evacuation efforts. While recognizing some jeopardy may be involved with these efforts, officers will participate with extreme caution and strict adherence to safety, procedural guidelines or specific instructions from a ranking officer.

III. THREAT EVALUATION/RESPONSE

A. Recognition

1. The majority of persons responsible for making bomb threats have three (3) basic "goals" in doing so.
   
2. 1. To cause injury or loss of life
      
   2. To cause property damage
      
   3. To cause the disruption of normal or scheduled university activities
      
      
2. University response to a bomb threat should be directed towards preventing the person who made the bomb threat from achieving any or all of the "goals."

B. Decisions

1. Specific response action to a bomb threat will be decided by consultation with the Chancellor, Provost/Vice-Chancellor, Vice Chancellor for Administrative & Fiscal Affairs, Executive Director of University Advancement and the Director of University Police & Public Safety (or appropriate designees of these persons). At times, under certain circumstances, other persons may be included in the decision-making process. The Chancellor, or designee, shall make the ultimate decision regarding the specific response action to be undertaken in a given bomb threat situation.
   
   
2. Alternatives which will be considered in making bomb threat decisions will include
   
   
3. 1. Taking no action on the threat
      
   2. Searching for a bomb or suspicious item, without evacuation of personnel/students
      
   3. Searching for a bomb, or suspicious item, with an evacuation of personnel/students
      
      Sometimes, other alternatives may be considered as a result of the specific circumstances of a bomb threat.
      
      
3. In weighing alternatives, the protection of human life will be of highest priority. However, it will be recognized that the subsequent evacuation of people and the panic caused by bomb threats can also endanger human life as well. The total disruption of university services/activities caused by false bomb threats must be discouraged to prevent repeated occurrences of a similar nature.
   
   
4. Specific criteria will be reviewed when choosing a response action. However, this criteria cannot be divulged without jeopardizing the safety and security of the campus. The release of such criteria could allow someone, who wants to make a bomb threat, to tailor the threat so as to severely limit possible alternatives and achieve a terroristic "goal." Only those persons directly involved in the decision-making will be given all pertinent facts, as known at the time, to weigh against the specific criteria.

C. Evacuation and Search Plans

1. The Director of University Police & Public Safety will maintain plans and procedures to allow for the evacuation of people and/or the search of physical property due to a bomb threat.
   
   
2. These plans and procedures should be confidential. This will prevent someone's knowledge of the specifics of the plans and procedures from becoming advantageous to the issuance of a bomb threat. The general existence, but not the specifics, of the plans and procedures may be shared with the public.