Bomb Threat Procedures

The following procedures should be followed in the event you receive a phone call, a verbal or physical threat, or suspicious mail or a package.

Receiving and Reporting the Threat

Remain calm, call the University Police Department at x4444, and contact your department head as well.

Obtain the following information by using the Bomb Threat Checklist.

• If your phone has a caller ID display, copy the numbers and/or letters. Do not hang up the phone. If possible, have another person listen in on the conversation. Immediately have someone call the University Police Department from another phone. Give the name, phone number, and room number where the bomb threat is received so the person receiving the call can be reached if needed.
• Listen, be calm and courteous, do not interrupt the caller, and obtain as much information as you can. Take notes on exact phrases or statements. Note the time the call is received, the sex and accent of the caller, his or her attitude, and any background noises that can help identify where the caller may be located (bells, talking, traffic, etc.). Try to keep the caller on the line as long as possible.
• The most crucial information you can obtain from the caller is the time that the bomb will explode, where it is located, and the appearance of the bomb. Also ask the caller for his or her name, if they placed the bomb, and where they placed it.
• Activate an immediate trace.
  1. Depress the switch-hook slightly (the same way you activate call waiting)
  2. Press *99
  3. Return to the caller for a moment and hang up
  4. Contact the Monmouth University Police Department at 571-3499 (emergency number) or 571-4444 to report the call to the Dispatcher.
• Do not use two-way radios or cellular phones because radio signals have the potential to detonate a bomb. If at all possible, use a landline telephone.
• Do not evacuate the building until police arrive and evaluate the threat.
• Do not activate the fire alarm. This may cause unnecessary panic.

Do not touch or move a suspicious package. Common characteristics of suspicious packages are an unexpected delivery, the lack of a return address, excessive postage, and stains, strange odors, or sounds. Do not assume it is the only package. Be familiar with Letter and Parcel Recognition Points.

If the threat is received in writing, the letter or note should be turned over to the University Police Department who, in turn, will relay the note to the proper authorities. The note should be handled as little as possible as it may be useful in an investigation.

If the threat was left on a voicemail, notify the Police Department immediately and do not delete or forward the message.