Miltn Twn Schl District Prcedure E7P: PROCEDURES FOR BOMB THREATS Anticipating a Bmb Threat 1. Line f authrity. The Principals f the Miltn Elementary Schl and the Principals f Miltn High Schl are designated as the persns in charge f administering this plicy. If the Principal s decides, he/she may designate a named administratr t serve in his/her stead r absence. Wherever Principal appears in this plicy, it refers either t the Principal r the designated administratr. 2. Crdinatin f schl and public safety agencies. The Principal shall establish and maintain nging cmmunicatin and crdinatin amng schl staff and public safety authrities fr purpses f planning fr, training fr, and respnding t any bmb threat. Fr this purpse, the Principal shall establish a bmb threat respnse team t cnsist f the Principal, the Superintendent, and persns representing teachers, custdians, ffice staff, transprtatin prviders, and parents. The Principal shall request participatin n this team by persns representing lcal law enfrcement and fire/rescue agencies. The Principal shall cnvene this grup t: review this plicy and any assciated prtcls prir t the first student attendance day each schl year; crdinate and versee respnse effrts whenever a bmb threat has been made; review implementatin f this plicy after any bmb threat is reslved. 3. Training Telephne answerers. The Principal shall see that all staff whse regular duties include answering incming telephne calls are trained in the prtcl t be used when cnfrnted by a telephne bmb threat. All staff. The Principal shall see that all staff are trained regarding their duties in the event f a bmb threat, including prper evacuatin prcedures, assuring the safety f students and staff, nting the absence f any students, cnducting quick but cmplete visual scans f their wrkplace, and attendant reprting respnsibilities. Any staff participating in a search. The Principal shall see that any staff vlunteering t participate in a search fr explsive devices are first trained by apprpriate public safety persnnel regarding the vluntary nature f their participatin, the ptential danger, and the prper sequence and technique invlved. Students. The Principal shall see that all students are instructed abut prper cnduct during a bmb threat, the ptential criminal and civil penalties as well as E7P: PROCEDURES FOR BOMB THREATS Page 1 f 6
schl discipline assciated with making a bmb threat, and the disruptin and csts t the educatinal prcess stemming frm a bmb threat. 4. Drills. The Principal shall cnduct n less than ne bmb threat drill fr the bmb threat respnse team and staff during the curse f the schl year, t cnsist f a review f the prcedures t be fllwed in the event f a bmb threat. 5. Pre-arranged signal. The Principal shall establish a signal fr annuncing a bmb threat and infrm staff what it is. 6. Precautins: Telephne service ptins. The Principal shall see that at least main ffice telephne service includes caller ID r ther call-tracing capacity and that each phne statin is supplied with a Crisis Respnse Guide. Lcked areas. Schl persnnel with access t lckable wrk spaces shall lck them when nt in use. Trash. The Principal shall direct schl persnnel nt t permit the accumulatin f trash, bxes, and ther articles inside r next t the schl building. Parking. The Principal shall, t the extent pssible, ensure that parking spaces are nt lcated clse t the schl building. There shall be stringent enfrcement f parking restrictins relative t fire lanes, lading dcks and handicapped parking spaces. Labeling building areas. The Principal shall ensure that different areas f the building are assigned specific labels, t be psted in plain sight and t be cmmunicated t schl and public safety authrities. Evacuatin gathering places. The Principal shall designate specific lcatins t which all students and staff shall g away frm heavily traveled radways if an evacuatin f the schl is rdered. 7. Substitutes. The Principal shall see that substitute persnnel are aware f this plicy and the bligatins f staff during a bmb threat. Reacting t a Bmb Threat 1. Upn receiving threat. All persnnel wh answer telephne calls frm utside surces shall be prvided a Crisis Respnse Guide, t be placed within easy reach f their telephne, n which is printed infrmatin t ask fr and infrmatin t listen fr in the event a caller makes a bmb threat. Whever receives the call shall attempt t transfer it t the Principal, r failing that, ask the caller as many f the questins n the Guide as he/she can, carefully nting all wrding and ther infrmatin. 2. Ntificatin E7P: PROCEDURES FOR BOMB THREATS Page 2 f 6
T the Principal. A persn receiving a bmb threat by telephne r ther means r wh finds a suspicius device n schl prperty shall infrm the Principal immediately. By the Principal. Upn learning f the bmb threat, the Principal shall alert lcal public safety agencies, utility cmpanies and the Superintendent. 3. Assessment. Upn learning f the bmb threat, the Principal, in cnsultatin with public safety fficials and the Superintendent if time permits, shall: Evaluate the credibility f the threat; Decide whether t direct a search f the building; and If s, decide whether the search shuld be cnducted while the building is ccupied r after it has been evacuated. In s ding, the Principal shall reslve all dubts in favr f finding the threat credible, a search necessary and prir evacuatin necessary. 4. Activating the team. After deciding which curse f actin t fllw, the Principal shall activate the bmb threat respnse team. 5. Evacuatin T what extent. The Principal, in cnsultatin with the bmb threat respnse team, shall decide n the extent t which the building will be evacuated. The decisin shall be either: T assemble all building ccupants in ne lcatin, such as the gymnasium; T evacuate just a prtin f the building; T evacuate the entire building t a particular site r sites n less than 300 frm the building; r T dismiss students and/r staff fr the balance f the day. Signaling. If the Principal decides the building shuld be evacuated, he/she shall infrm the staff immediately. Adjusting evacuatin rute. The Principal shall direct persnnel t adjust their usual evacuatin rute t avid any suspected lcatin f an explsive device. Staff bligatins. In the event f an evacuatin, staff shall: Visually scan their wrkplace and any ther cmmn areas they have been assigned fr any thing r persn ut f the rdinary. If there is such an bject, staff shuld nt tuch it but shuld reprt its presence t the Principal. E7P: PROCEDURES FOR BOMB THREATS Page 3 f 6
Make sure upn leaving that windws and drs are pen. Make sure any students in their charge are guided t safety, making arrangements that students with disabilities are fllwed, and remain with students in their charge; and Take an attendance bk with them, taking attendance nce the evacuatin is accmplished and nting the absence f any students nrmally in their charge and reprt their names t the Principal. Student cnduct. All students shall assist staff by beying all directins and maintaining an rderly and quiet demeanr. Utilities Fuel. The Principal shall direct apprpriate persnnel t turn ff gas and ther fuel lines at intake. Electricity. The Principal shall decide whether electric pwer t the building shuld be turned ff. Transprtatin and traffic. The Principal shall make sure a safe and efficient traffic pattern is in place t enable students t depart withut impeding access and parking fr public safety vehicles. 6. Search T what extent. The Principal, in cnsultatin with the bmb threat respnse team, shall decide n the extent t which the building will be searched. The decisin shall be either: Nt t cnduct a search; T search specific prtins f the building; r T search the entire building and grunds. Nature f search. The Principal, in cnsultatin with the bmb threat respnse team, shall decide whether a search will be cnducted vertly, cvertly, r by means f a special team. Methd. A search shall be cnducted in accrdance with techniques and training prvided by public safety persnnel. Tward that end, the Principal shall arrange with public safety fficials fr the peridic training f search persnnel. Participants STAFF. Each staff member shall, upn request, cnduct a visual scan f his/her wrkplace, nting any thing r persn ut f the rdinary, and shall reprt any findings t the Principal. E7P: PROCEDURES FOR BOMB THREATS Page 4 f 6
STUDENTS. Under n circumstances will a student be permitted t participate in a search. VOLUNTEERS. N schl persnnel may be required, beynd what is prvided in this plicy, t participate in a search fr an explsive device. Any schl persnnel vlunteering t participate in a search fr an explsive device shall first be trained with respect t the dangers invlved, precautins t bserve, and the techniques t fllw. Object fund. If any suspicius bject is actually discvered, n schl persnnel shuld tuch it. Instead, the individual discvering the bject shuld reprt it immediately t the Principal, wh shall immediately reprt it t the public safety fficial in charge. Explsin. If there is an explsin, the Principal shall yield t the authrity and prtcls f public safety authrities. After a Bmb Threat 1. Investigatin. The Principal, and all ther schl persnnel, shall cperate with law enfrcement persnnel invlved in investigating a bmb threat. Schl persnnel shall nt cnduct any investigatin independently but rather in cnjunctin with law enfrcement. 2. Discipline. Any student invlved in the making f a bmb threat, in additin t any penalty impsed by law, shall be subject t disciplinary actin by the schl, up t and including expulsin subject t the schl s student discipline plicy. 3. Civil liability. The Miltn Twn Schl District reserves the right t bring suit against anyne respnsible fr a bmb threat and t seek restitutin and ther damages permitted by law. 4. Lst time. Any schl time lst as a result f a bmb threat shall be made up n days and at times determined by the Schl Bard. 5. Cunseling. The Principal, in cnsultatin with apprpriate guidance and ther persnnel, shall assess the effect f the bmb threat n students as a whle and n any individual students wh cme t his/her attentin, t determine if and what type f cunseling wuld be apprpriate. 6. Evaluatin. Within ne week fllwing the cnclusin f the schl s respnse t a bmb threat, the Principal shall cnvene the bmb threat respnse team t evaluate hw well the schl respnded, hw cnsistent its respnse was with plicy, hw cnsistent its respnse was with its implementatin prcedures, and whether any changes t the prvisins f this plicy r implementatin prcedures are recmmended as a result. Cmmunicating with the Public 1. Abut the plicy. All schl handbks, thse fr faculty, staff, parents and students, shall cntain the fllwing prvisin: E7P: PROCEDURES FOR BOMB THREATS Page 5 f 6
The Miltn Twn Schl District has adpted a cmprehensive plicy n what t d in the event f a bmb threat. Yu may btain a cpy f the cmplete plicy by requesting ne frm the Principal s ffice. While we intend t respect the legitimate privacy interests f all persns, it is lawful fr schl authrities within cnstitutinal bundaries t cnduct reasnable examinatin f persnal prperty n schl grunds, including but nt limited t lckers, desks, backpacks, bk bags, and autmbiles. In the event f a bmb threat, we may have t search such items in rder t assure the safety and prtectin f peple and prperty. We als want all members f the schl cmmunity t knw that any academic time lst as a result f a bmb threat will be rescheduled, either n a weekend, vacatin day r fllwing what wuld therwise be the end f the schl year. In additin, under state law, the making f a bmb threat is a very serius criminal ffense, punishable fr even a first ffense by as much as 2 years in prisn and a $5,000 fine. The making f such a threat may als lead t civil liability. 2. Abut a bmb threat. Parents. In the event f a bmb threat, the Principal shall make sure that ntice is prvided all parents f students within 24 hurs. If schl is dismissed as a result f a bmb threat, the Principal shall implement general schl prcedures fr ntificatin f parents. Media. Any schl persnnel apprached abut a bmb threat by a representative f the media shall refer that representative t the Superintendent, Principal r their designee. That fficial shall prvide the representative with a frmal statement regarding the status f the threat. If apprached during the threat, the fficial shall ask the representative t wait fr a time when circumstances legitimately permit the fficial t take a few mments t speak with him/her. Any statement given shall be calm and infrmative withut divulging persnally identifiable infrmatin abut students and shall emphasize the effrts made r under way t prtect the safety f students and staff. Cmmunity generally. Depending upn the circumstances the District may want t cmmunicate with the general cmmunity either in writing r by cnvening a meeting. Date Warned: 6/27/2011 Date Adpted: 7/11/2011 E7P: PROCEDURES FOR BOMB THREATS Page 6 f 6