Bomb Threat
Call 911 immediately if there is an imminent, clear, and present danger.
For your safety and that of others, treat each threat seriously by notifying Public Safety. Immediately.
Telephone Threat
- Remain calm.
- Note the current time and record the number displayed on caller ID.
- Try to ascertain:
- The location of the bomb
- The time the bomb is expected to go off
- What does it look like?
- What kind of bomb is it?
- What will make it explode?
- What is your name?
- Listen to the voice carefully and try to determine:
- Estimated age of the caller
- Accent of the caller
- Sex of the caller
- Is there any background noise that might identify where the caller is?
- If you receive the call on voicemail, save the voicemail
- Write down all your observations and the information given to you
- Once the call is disconnected:
- Immediately call Public Safety at 802-443-5911 or Law Enforcement at 911
- Await further instructions
Email Threat
- Remain calm
- Do not delete the email and avoid replying to it.
- Preserve the email as it can serve as important evidence.
- Analyze the sender’s email address and note the time it was received.
- Be cautious of any attachments in the email and refrain from clicking on them.
- Call Public Safety immediately
- Notify your immediate supervisor
- Avoid the area where the bomb is alleged to be until Public Safety and/or Law Enforcement issue an “All Clear.”
Written Threat
- Call Public Safety immediately
- Notify your immediate supervisor
- Avoid unnecessary handling of the message to preserve evidence and keep it in a safe place until Public Safety and/or Law Enforcement arrive
- Avoid the area where the bomb is alleged to be until Public Safety and/or Law Enforcement issue an “All Clear.”
Suspicious Packages, Envelopes, or Substances
- Keep others away.
- Do not touch the package.
- Call 911 or Public Safety at 802-443-5911 immediately.
If item is suspicious but threat is unknown:
- Do not handle the item if possible.
- Report the item to your supervisor.
- Contact the Department of Public Safety at 802-443-5911.
- A public safety officer will determine if the police need to be contacted.
If you find an opened suspicious package:
- Do not touch the package.
- Report the package to your supervisor.
- Secure the area and do not allow entry.
- Call the Department of Public Safety at 802-443-5911 and advise them of the package.
- Any employee who had direct contact with the package should wash her/his exposed skin with soap and water.
- Wait for emergency responders to arrive and follow their directions.
- Provide emergency responders with information about who was in the area around the time the package was discovered.
Characteristics of suspicious packages and envelopes:
- Have a powdery substance on the outside.
- Are unexpected or are from someone unfamiliar to you.
- Have excessive postage, handwritten or poorly typed addresses, incorrect titles with names, or misspellings of common words.
- Are addressed to someone no longer with your organization or the addresses are outdated.
- Have no return address or an address that cannot be verified as legitimate.
- Addresses not consistent with postmarks.
- Are of unusual weight, given their size, or are lopsided or oddly shaped.
- Have an unusual amount of tape, string, or other wrapping material on them.
- Are marked with restrictive endorsements, such as “Fragile” or “Personal” and “Confidential” or “Rush-Do-Not-Delay.”
- Have strange odors or stains.