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Bomb & Disease Threat Management Procedures
(sample - revise as appropriate)
Bomb threats have not been common since the 1960s and 1970s when many buildings received them with some
regularity. In recent years the FBI has reported that potential terrorists have been bringing bomb-making materials into the USA. The horror of September 11 reminded us of the importance of being prepared.
Disease threats had become more numerous in the USA in recent years. Prior to September 11, 2001, the FBI investigated twenty or more anthrax incidents each month. The FBI has always taken disease threats seriously. Target have included abortion clinics, Catholic churches and schools, hospitals, news organizations and the like. September 11 brought significant changes, and may lead to more serious trouble ahead.
In November, 1998, one of our Annual Conferences reported that their office had received a letter alleging that it contained anthrax spores. Luckily that one was a hoax, because staff members had opened it and examined it rather thoroughly before someone remembered to call 911. Anthrax must be treated with antibiotics within one or two days after exposure
According to a Stanford University professor, "smallpox is a direct threat to the entire world. It spreads like wildfire, kills one victim out of three, and leaves the
rest blind and disfigured". The virus is stored in laboratories in the USA and Russia, but samples are believed to be in the hands of Iraq, Iran, North Korea and Libya.
In May, 1995 a person was arrested after illegally obtaining three vials of
bubonic plague organisms from a firm in Maryland.
In April, 1991 members of a Minnesota extremist group manufactured enough
ricin, derived from castor beans, to kill 100 people.
These last two examples are from a FBI report entitled Terrorism in the United States.
Our procedures for dealing with bombs and with disease threats are
similar -- |
- Establish standard procedures.
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- Instruct receptionists, mail distribution staff and others
in the procedures to be followed when a threatening phone call
or a suspicious letter or package is received.
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The safety Team will help with
plans, as needed.
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Conduct periodic awareness reminders.
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| Ask Building Services personnel to periodically
check washrooms, stairwells and other areas in which unauthorized
people might hide, hide a bomb. |
| Instruct receptionists, administrative assistants
and mail handlers in the procedures to follow when phoned threats or
suspicious letters or packages are received. |
Arrange for police officers or firefighters to
instruct the Safety Team on any special procedures for evacuating
the building when the problem is a bomb threat or a disease.
|
Telephoned Bomb or Disease
Threats
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- More than one person should listen in on the call, when
practicable.
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- Ask the caller to repeat the message -- several times if
possible.
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- Keep the caller on the line as long as possible -- ask for
more information.
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- Ask for the location of the package, and other questions as
per the checklist.
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- Tell the caller many innocent people will die or be
crippled.
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- Listen for background noise, to guess the caller's location.
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- Listen to the voice (male or female), voice quality (calm or
excited), accents and speech impediments.
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- When caller hangs up:
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- Inform Safety Team members and Senior Management
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| Written Threats and
Suspicious Letters and Packages |
Written threats (mail, fax or e-mail) should never be
ignored.
Suspicious looking envelopes or packages should never be opened. |
| Follow the advice of the police. |
| Inform the Safety Team Members and Senior Management. |
| Do not use cellular phones in bomb cases. Radio waves might
detonate a bomb. |
| Handle suspicious envelopes or packages with rubber gloves. |
| Keep suspicious envelopes or packages away from your face. |
| Save all materials, envelopes or containers for the police and
FBI or ATF. |
| Preserve carefully any fingerprints, handwriting, post-marks,
etc. |
| Place everything in a plastic bag, if a disease threat, to hold
until the officials arrive. |
Mail and Package Precautions |
Staff members should carefully observe all incoming mail and
packages. The FBI recommends watching for the
following indicators or recognition points: |
Excessive postage |
| Incorrect titles |
| Titles but no names |
| Misspellings of common words |
| Oily stains or discoloration |
| No return address |
| Excessive weight |
| A rigid envelope |
| Lopsided or an uneven envelope |
| A strange odor, especially the smell of almonds |
| Protruding wires or tinfoil |
| Visual distractions |
| Foreign mail, airmail, or special delivery |
| Restrictive markings, such as confidential and personal |
| Hand written, poorly typed or "cut and paste" labels or messages |
Excessive securing material, such as masking tape and string
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| Building Evacuation
(If Advised By Senior Management) |
Because it is hard to determine whether a telephone threat is
credible, all threats must be taken seriously and properly addressed.
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Call 911 -- Then advise a member
of the Safety Team, who will
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- Follow the orders of the Police or Firefighters
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- Advise other members of the Safety Team including Building
Services
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- Advise Senior Management
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Phone numbers of Safety Team
Members:
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| Key phone numbers, in addition to
members of the Safety Team: |
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The Building Services Manager is |
______________________ |
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The Risk Manager is |
______________________ |
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The Security Manager is |
______________________ |
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| For Bomb threats: |
Do not use cell phones, in case the bomb could be detonated by radio
waves. |
| Remember to open all doors and windows to permit the
blast waves to escape. |
Evacuate everyone, if advised to do so by Senior Management, to a
distance of 300 feet or more, if a bomb threat, or at least to another
room if a disease exposure is suspected.
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| Do not re-enter the building
until the police search has been completed. |
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The risk Management Department of the General Council on Finance and
Administration of The United Methodist Church (GCFA) has developed this
sample Bomb & Disease Threat Management Plan exclusively for United
Methodist churches to assist them in developing their own loss control
procedures. We encourage reproduction and distribution to United
Methodist churches and institutions. The purpose is to help save lives,
reduce injuries, and preserve church property. It is produced by GCFA in
conjunction with the United Methodist Insurance Program. GCFA provides
this information solely as a courtesy to help local churches. GCFA does
not develop loss control procedures for local churches. Permission for
non-United Methodist groups to reproduce this information may be
requested from the Risk Management Department. For further information,
contact the Risk Management Department of GCFA, 1 Music Circle North,
Nashville, TN 37203; phone: (615)-369-3393 |
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