Emergency Response

Bomb Threat

If you receive a bomb threat by phone, listen carefully, and get as much information as possible from the caller. Write down everything that is said, including the exact time of the call.

WHAT SHOULD YOU DO

Keep the caller talking as long as possible and ask the following: 

  • Ask for the caller’s name.  
  • Why was the bomb planted?  
  • What does the bomb look like?  
  • What type of bomb is it?  
  • When will the bomb go off?  
  • Where is the bomb located?  
  • Listen for background noises; i.e., other voices, traffic, airplanes, trains, machinery, music. 
  • Determine any characteristics or identifiers for the caller, including their emotional state.

Call 911 immediately after finishing the call.

  • Tell the dispatcher that you received a bomb threat and tell the dispatcher all of the information you were able to collect.  
  • Give the dispatcher your name, phone number, and location information.  
  • If safe to do so, stay in the area so that you can meet with the responding officer(s).  
WHAT WILL HAPPEN
  • The dispatcher will notify Muskingum University Police and any other emergency responders.   
  • Law enforcement and first responders will decide on an appropriate course of action, based on known information.   
  • After speaking with the person who took the call, University officials and emergency responders will decide what further action should be taken, including possible evacuation.
  • The University will communicate immediate alerts and action steps via META.
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