Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
CHAPTER 15
Bomb Threats
and Bombings
IMAGINE YOURSELF SITTING IN YOUR OFFICE and the phone starts
to ring. You answer and hear the voice of a man saying “I hate your
country (or your company, race, religion) and within a few minutes a
bomb in your facility is going to explode.” What can you do to prevent
injury, loss of life and what, if anything, can you do to minimize the
damage? Although many bombings occur with no warning, on occasion an
individual who has placed an explosive device in a particular location will
call or otherwise contact the targeted facility to warn that a bomb will go
off within a certain amount of time.
Although it hardly makes sense to speak of bombers as having a sense
of humanity, a warning allows the occupants of a building to evacuate,
thereby reducing the number of human casualties. The resultant damage
will be to property, not people. Unfortunately, the reality of the period in
history in which we live has shown that damage to property alone will not
satisfy many of today's terrorists. No distinction is made between com-
batants and noncombatants or among men, women, or children. Still, a
bomb threat protocol must be included in any Emergency Response Plan.
If a bomb threat is received, it is crucial that as much information be
obtained from the caller as is possible, given the fact that time is of the
essence. Initially the goal is to find out, if the caller is willing to provide
the information, when the device will explode, where it has been placed,
and what will cause it to explode. Obviously, the amount of time to effect
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