Bomb Threat and Suspicious Device
Once the Building Management Office has been notified of a bomb threat, it is our policy to advise your firm’s manager or senior officer. It is up to the manager or senior officer to decide whether it is appropriate to evacuate the office. Bomb Threat Check List
Telephone Threat
Most threats are received by telephone (particularly bomb and extortion threats). Do not ignore or take any type of threat lightly. Personnel under your charge should be instructed to report all threats to the Management Office at 303 295 6200.
When a bomb threat is made over the telephone, obtain the following information from the caller:
- Exact location of the device.
- Time set for explosion;
- Description of the device;
- Reason the caller has placed the bomb;
- Exact words used by the caller.
- Keep this information as confidential as possible.
- Notify the Police Department. Call 911.
- Notify the Building Management Office at 303 295 6200
Once the Building Management Office has been notified of a bomb threat, it is our policy to advise your firm’s manager or senior officer. It is up to the manager or senior officer to decide whether it is appropriate to evacuate the office.
In the event that you are asked to evacuate the Building, please move away from the Building so as to allow unfettered access to emergency personnel. Do not re-enter the Building until the Management Office, the Police, or the Fire Department have given clearance.
The single most terrifying occurrence to an unsuspecting person is receiving a telephone call telling them that a bomb is nearby and will soon go off. If the person receiving the call panics, the situation can become more serious.
Every employee of a company who may possibly answer a telephone should be alerted to the possibility that such a phone call could be received at any time.
Any person receiving a bomb threat should, above all, stay calm. The person receiving the message should attempt to keep the caller on the line as long as possible and write down or record every word the caller says. He or she should ask the caller about the location of bomb (Click here for the Bomb Threat Check List).
While the caller is talking, listen carefully to the voice and any background noises that may help identify the caller. The bomb checklist should be completed soon after the call has ended, or while the caller is on the phone, if possible. Just before the caller hangs up, it’s a good policy to ask “may I say who is calling”. This may sound silly, but many people are so accustomed to answering this question that there have been cases where the caller has identified himself before realizing it.
As soon as the bomb threat has been received and the caller has hung up, the person receiving the call should report it to the Management Office. As soon as they are alerted, building management will initiate emergency building search procedures.
Responsibilities of Floor Wardens and Assistants
The Floor Warden should be informed of the bomb threat, and prepare to assist security, building management and Law Enforcement Officials with search procedures.
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Enforcement officials will need assistance of the Floor Warden to study the bomb threat closely in regards to the company activities and indications of the degree of accuracy of the threat.
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If possible, a bomb search team should be formed of employees in the company. Employees should be assigned to search areas they work in and are familiar with. A person searching an area he works in will know what belongs in the area and what doesn’t. Areas open to the general public should be searched first.
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If an object is located that may be a bomb, the first rule is DO NOT TOUCH IT!
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Immediately call building management at 303 295 6200 and notify them of the situation.
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The Police Department and Bomb Squad do not search buildings for bombs unless there are unusual circumstances. The Police officer summoned to make a report will probably leave the building after completing the report. If a suspect device is discovered, the Police must be summoned, and those officers will make a determination to call the Bomb Squad.
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The hardest part of a bomb search is knowing what to look for. The best answer to that question is that you should: “Look for any item that looks like it may not belong”.
Suspicious Packages or Mail Bombs
Letter bombs are usually sent through the mail addressed to a specific individual in the company, usually disguised to look like some sort of gift or a small package. Letter bombs have the power to kill or seriously maim anyone in close proximity. Letter bombs are usually contained within a large size manila envelope 1/4” to 1/2” thick and are fairly rigid.
However, the technology used in letter bombs has become increasingly sophisticated, and can be difficult to detect visually. Letter bombs have been mailed from cities or small towns in the United States, as well as from foreign countries. Be especially wary of letters that are mailed to titles -- Chairman, President, Manager, Security Officer, etc. rather than directly to named individuals.
If you suspect a parcel contains a letter bomb:
- Clear everyone out of the immediate area; establish at least a 25-foot radius around the package.
- Notify the police at 911 and Building Management at 303 295 6200.
- DO NOT HANDLE IT UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES.
- DO NOT ATTEMPT TO DEACTIVATE IT YOURSELF.