BOMB THREAT PROCEDURES: MANAGEMENT PERSONNEL

Bomb Threat Procedures: Management Personnel
by Dana Turner, BOL Guru

PURPOSE: The purpose of this section is to define and describe acceptable supervisor and management procedures for preventing or responding to a bomb threat, to avoid confusion and to monitor the performance of necessary tasks assigned to staff personnel.

POLICY: It is the institution's policy that supervisors will support and encourage their employees to take extraordinary measures to ensure their own safety and the safety of other persons who may become involved in a bomb threat event, including:

Monitoring the employees' work practices by personal observation and through periodic interviews;
Conducting frequent bomb threat training during staff briefings and other occasions as it's appropriate;
Verifying that each workstation is equipped with all necessary emergency forms and telephone numbers;
Conducting periodic and unannounced on-site inspections of workstations and personnel;
Recognizing that delivering a bomb threat is primarily a business crime;
Caring for their own safety first, before considering others' safety;
Complying with the offender's demands, if it's possible; and
Facilitating the offender's successful delivery of the bomb threat, if it's possible.

Supervisors are responsible for ensuring that their employees take preventive measures to reduce the likelihood of a bomb being placed within the facility, including:

Constantly remaining aware of their surroundings and their geographic location;
Becoming and remaining familiar with all areas of the facility and with the things that should be in those locations;
Carefully following facility entry and exit safety measures;
Observing, reporting and acting upon any unusual incidents and behavior;
Knowing what to do during a bomb threat, including:

Knowing procedures to follow during emergency responses;
Studying procedures;
Reviewing suspect description and reporting forms;
Using the facility's camera to record unusual or suspicious persons or events;
Insuring that the workstation in use contains all emergency forms, and that the surrounding areas are kept free from debris and other items that may conceal a bomb; and
Knowing the locations and capabilities of security devices;

Cautioning employees about not discussing personal and business issues with non-employees, including:

Institution and employee information;
Physical layout of the office;
Personal matters;
Details of cash- and document-handling procedures;
Transportation route information; and
Security procedures.

Supervisors are responsible for ensuring that their employees take appropriate measures to protect themselves and to assist a law enforcement agency during a bomb threat, including training them to:

Remember that their primary responsibility is to help the police find the bomb;
Complete the appropriate form and asking all questions, if it's possible, because the primary purpose of the person receiving the threat call is to keep the caller on the telephone line while obtaining as much information as possible;
Notify the nearest supervisor or the Unit Security Officer of the bomb threat at the earliest opportunity;
Keep the telephone line on which the call was received open for the duration of the event and ensuring that any notifications are made on alternate telephone lines;
Do exactly what the offender commands, including:

Repeat the commands back to the offender, if it's possible;
Tell the offender, "I'll do exactly what you tell me to do";
Not make any comments that threaten the offender;
Attempt to develop rapport with the offender by developing a "relationship";
Agree to do whatever the offender commands;
Promise not to call the police;
Suggest that the Unit Security Officer should talk with the caller;
Remain as the offender's contact person for the duration of the incident, if it's practical, if the caller specifically demands it;
Remain the only person talking with the caller but having another employee monitor the call, and each employee is responsible for completing the appropriate form;
After receiving the initial message, asking the caller to repeat the message for clarity; and
Remember that no employee is to act in any way that might endanger his/her safety, or the safety of another person.

Supervisors are responsible for continuing to take appropriate and timely measures to protect themselves and their employees, and to assist a law enforcement agency after a bomb threat, including:

Verifying that any employees, customers and other persons are safe, or determining what medical assistance may be required;
Searching the areas immediately surrounding their workstations and reporting objects that are unusual or suspicious, remembering that no employee will touch or disturb the object;
Moving any employees to a more private area, if it's possible, and remaining at the scene area to avoid evidence contamination;
Identifying witnesses and asking them to remain, pending contact by the law enforcement agency;
Contacting the Unit Security Officer by a cellular or a landline telephone, giving him/her all necessary information;
Following the instructions received from the Unit Security Officer or a representative of the responsible law enforcement agency;
Assigning staff employees to complete reports and forms as it's appropriate;
Completing all supervisor's tasks, including the completion of reports and forms; and
Referring all requests for interviews by the media to the law enforcement agency or the Security Director.

If a prolonged investigation requires employees to remain at the scene, arranging for those employees to contact their families to report their safe condition.

Ensuring that an institution manager will notify a family member, in person, of any employee injured during the bomb threat.

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First published on BankersOnline.com 7/1/02

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