John W. Kennish, CPP - Security Consultant
62 East Pond Meadow Road, Westbrook, Connecticut 06498
Phone: (860) 399-8545
Fax: (860) 399-4150
Kennish.com
E-Mail John Kennish
© 2000 John W. Kennish, CPP
Preparing for Bomb Threats
1. Device Placement and Prevention
3.Threat Analysis and Pre-Planning
4. Letter Bombs
II.Bomb Threats Analysis, Searches, and Evacuation Plans
3. Searches
4. Evacuation
5. Management
6. Authority
7.Action
Preparing for Bomb Threats
Potential bombing incidents constitute a serious threat to employees, customers, assets, operations and facilities whether the motive is found in extortion, assault or an act of terror. This threat area has taken on relevance and is increasingly prevalent today for a number of reasons which are:
It is now possible for just about anyone to construct a sophisticated explosive or incendiary device, which is extremely powerful, difficult to detect and disarm, and small enough to be easily carried and concealed.
Following an event, the investigation and successful prosecution of bombers is very difficult as the modern weapon literally destroys most of the physical evidence that was often left by the older and more primitive devices. Without the assurance of a quick and effective investigation and prosecution, much of the deterrent value of the criminal justice system is lost.
The bomb threat of today has creditability. As we have experienced, American is no longer immune to these kinds of acts. This is not a threat to be taken as lightly as it once was in this society. Your objectives should be to better understand this threat area, and to preplan now, while you have the time.
1. Device Placement and Prevention
The options available to the thoughtful attacker for effective placement of a device are numerous. Generally, delivery can be accomplished in any of a number of ways to include on the person of an employee, visitor, vendor or maintenance person, within a box, purse, briefcase, lunch box, or via a commercial carrier, private delivery service, or the U.S. Mail.
The level of confidence with which any bomb threat can accurately be evaluated lies in direct proportion to the degree of security and access control that is exerted regarding a given facility. With an atmosphere of lax protection comes the opportunity the attacker seeks and likewise, your inability to control the situation and to evaluate a bomb threat accurately. However, having an adequate security posture offers a high proactive value, and the ability to better define such an emergency situation when time is short and the pressure is on.
At a minimum and in any size organization, employee involvement is the key to prevention. Employees should receive awareness training on the topic of bomb threats and extortion. Higher risk areas, such a data processing facilities, utility and storage rooms, loading docks, parking structures, etcetera should be reasonably secured using adequate lock and key, access control, alarm, lighting and surveillance systems, and guard applications. Response policies and procedures should be developed. Your local law enforcement and fire officials should be consulted with. A crisis management team should be designated. And, all of this should be done now, while you have the luxury of time.
Bomb threats are usually received by telephone, the call is short in duration, and the caller usually refuses to answer questions. Generally the rule is, if there is a bomb, the caller will prove it to you very quickly. In a "real situation" you will be presented with supporting information that can only mean that the caller is legitimate. Otherwise, and without specific and verifiable information, there is probably no actual device.
The caller will rely upon your inability to determine the veracity of the threat statement. The caller will secondly rely upon your inability to conduct an effective search of the facility in a very short period. If the caller can accomplish both of these objectives, he will place your organization into a state of confusion and panic which is most likely what his intent is.
3. Threat Analysis and Pre-Planning
Is it a real threat situation, or not? Search or not? Evacuate or not? Each of these decisions obviously carries a very serious question of safety, and potential significant business impacts. You will have to determine the validity of the threat with limited information on hand, and there will not be much time.
Proper preplanning and training are critical to this risk management process as you will have to quickly analyze the threat, estimate the need for accurate response, decide upon the most logical direction to take, and then execute your plan: and all of this within a very limited time frame.
Generally the rule is that the response selected should be in direct proportion to the threat information that is on hand.
Letter or package bombs represent an excellent delivery method if the motive of the attack is to inflict injury upon a specific individual. Employees should be very alert for:
1) Balance - In letter bombs, device components may shift and tend to "unbalance" an item of mail leaving it feeling "unusual" as compared to other similar items of mail.
2) Sweating - Some chemicals used in explosives may "sweat" and result in "greasy" marks on wrappings.
3) Odors - Some of these chemicals may also give off unusual odors, which the human nose will quickly sense. For example, the Oklahoma City bomb was constructed of nitrogen based commercial fertilizer. The next time you use garden or lawn fertilizer, note the smell. Nitrogen explosive devices may emit the same odor.
4) Feel - Letters have a normal "feel." Those that contain devices may simply not "feel" right, or they may be "stiff." This can indicate the presence of plastic or metallic components as opposed to the normal paper stuffing.
5) Packaging - Be very cautious of envelopes or packages, which are found within other packages. This may be an attempt to mask or hide the actual explosive device.
6) Addressing - Be cautious of items marked "To Be Opened Only By," or one which carries a strange place of origin, script, disguised or unusual writing or type, obvious misspelling or altering of words in the address field, or the lack of a return address.
Preplan, educate yourself and train your employees, believe and prepare. The topic of bomb threats is difficult to present because the perpetrator has such a wide variety of options available to him. However, the modern bomb threat is to be taken seriously and warrants your protective resources. This is not a threat area to learn about from on-the-job experience. Act now in a proactive fashion, and better assure the protection of both personnel, and assets.
II. Bomb Threats Analysis, Searches, and Evacuation Plans
Bomb threats are usually received by telephone. The call is usually short in duration and the caller usually refuses to answer any questions. None-the-less, the caller should be pushed for additional information, as it will be very helpful to the threat analysis that you will have to quickly make. Ask for information pertaining to the motive, location of the device, type, appearance, detonation time, and etcetera. The caller's exact words should be written down. Do not leave the recall of what was said to your memory as under stressful conditions something will end up changed or misquoted. Also carefully note any background noises, unusual comments, accents, other voice characteristics, etcetera.
The next step is to access the validity of the threat. Real or a hoax? Act or not, and to what degree? Your response to the situation will be totally dependent upon your evaluation results.
Your response will involve three continuous and related, but also distinct steps, which are:
First: Analysis of the threat, and estimate of the need for response.
Second: Decision of the logical response to follow.
Third: Implementing the response decisions within the allowed time frame.
Each of these steps will require different skills and information, and will involve different people, working both together and independently. The following questions must be answered based upon the available information even if the answer involves an assumption.
1) How creditable is the threat?
Has tangible information and evidence been provided that strongly indicates that an actual device is involved, or does an anonymous caller simply state that "There is a bomb in your facility." and quickly hang up?
2) In turn, what is the proper response?
Very simply, the response selected should be in direct proportion to the threat information that has been received.
A subjective judgement must be made regarding the degree of creditability or dependence that can be placed upon the information that has been received. A good rule to follow is, "What would an ordinarily prudent person do under the circumstances, and in a position of responsibility if confronted with this problem?".
The decision on how to respond will a), have to be made and b), can only be a judgement call influenced by the amount of information that is available at that time. Is the nature of the threat such that is it apparent that there is no immediate danger, or conversely, is it possible that there could be an actual danger? For instance:
Number 1:
Threat: The caller indicates the facility will be bombed, but does not state the nature of the device or the time of detonation, and then hangs up.
Probable Motive: Harassment with the intent of causing anxiety and disruption. This motive would become more likely if there have been or are a series of such calls.
Response: The appropriate response would be to conduct a limited and low profile search, advise select employees to be alert and observant, and to advise the authorities of the threat, but without a request for assistance.
Number 2:
Threat: The caller indicates that a high yield device has been positioned, he provides information regarding a unique design characteristic of the facility or an event (such as a recent unexplained break-in), states that the device in close proximity to your Data Processing Department, and gives a specific time of detonation which is only thirty minutes away.
Probable Motive: Unknown.
Response: It would be proper to immediately notify the authorities and to evacuate the facility. The facility should not be occupied at the specified detonation time, but could be searched before of after. The caller indicated definite knowledge, and had the objective of forewarning to minimize the consequences. This threat should be taken seriously, and your response escalated in proportion.
Number 3
Threat: The caller advises you to proceed to an exact location in the facility where he states you will find the first of several devices. He advises that you will be contacted again with further instructions, and hangs-up.
Motive: Extortion.
Response: In searching, you in fact find the first device. It should not be touched. The areas surrounding,
and the floors below and above should immediately be evacuated. The authorities 
should be notified, to include the Federal Bureau of Investigation as the
motive will likely turn out to be extortion.
Fire and law enforcement authorities should be consulted with if the threat appears to have merit. However, be aware that they will usually not assume responsibility for making certain decisions, which pertain to your business, and property.
Generally, it is logical to over react if in doubt or if the threat appears to be realistic, and to not react strongly if there reasonably appears to be little basis to the threat.
When it appears appropriate and it is evident that there is sufficient time, a preliminary search of the facility and grounds could be made prior to making final decisions regarding evacuation. However, searches should only be conducted if this can be accomplished in a safe manner. If it can be accomplished with a high margin of safety, employees, due to their familiarity with the building, may be able to conduct a search much more quickly than the public authorities unless a specially trained bomb search dog is available.
The objective of such a search is to quickly seek out items or objects, which are foreign to the environment. When the authorities arrive and/or there is more time, a more thorough search can then be accomplished.
Remember, a bomb need not look like a bomb. If an unusual or foreign object is in fact encountered, under no circumstances should it be touched, tampered with or moved. In this event, immediately evacuate the area and notify the authorities of the finding, and then follow their instructions exactly as they will now take authority given the danger to the public that may exist.
When the decision is made to evacuate either several floors of a larger building, or an entire facility due to a bomb threat, extreme care must be taken to not cause panic among employees and customers. If panic begins, and takes over, the potential for serious personal injury and property damage increases dramatically.
The decision to evacuate must be based upon an objective evaluation of the threat at hand and the merits of remaining within the building, verses leaving it with safety as the prime objective.
If within the minds of the people present in the facility, an emergency does exist, the authority to act should be vested in the highest titled person present. This chain of authority should begin at the official levels and continue down through the managers and supervisors.
The total nature of the emergency should determine how the situation will be executed. Available time and resources will determine who makes what decisions, and in what order. Once an evacuation is deemed to be appropriate, there will be a variety of tasks to perform to include:
It is imperative that personnel maintain their discipline, evacuate the facility in a calm manner, and proceed to an area where they will not be at risk. Do not allow anyone to run, or rush in the stairwells. Crowd panic can turn a minor emergency into a deadly situation. Generally, these procedures are suggested:
During an emergency, there is only so much time. Pre-planning for emergency conditions, now, while you have the luxury of time, is critical to the effectiveness of your self-protection program.
John W. Kennish, CPP - Security Consultant
62 East Pond Meadow Road, Westbrook, Connecticut 06498
Phone: (860) 399-8545
Fax: (860) 399-4150
Kennish.com
E-Mail John Kennish
© 2000 John W. Kennish, CPP