Rethinking bomb threat response

Understanding the explosive threat landscape is paramount to having a sound evacuation protocol. Security procedures and response to threats can no longer be static and uniformly applied; rather, they must be tailored to ever-evolving terrorist and criminal tactics. This paper introduces recent statistics regarding the decreasing number of domestic bombings in the USA. Data related to the increasing number of bomb threats is also brought into the discussion, along with data showing how threats are almost exclusively hoaxes. A case study of the disparate responses of two major cities to the same bomb threat reveals how and why the threat was handled differently, along with ramifications. Terrorist and criminal bombings often target evacuees and first responders, and devices, if they exist, are generally small and ineffective; therefore, sheltering in place, in the protection of the building, may be a better course of action than evacuation. The concept of treating a bomb threat as a possible dry run is discussed, along with information regarding detection of surveillance. The paper also ventures beyond data-gathering and explores the use of intuition in decision-making. These perspectives should be factored into bomb threat preparation, mitigation and response policy and procedures.