What to do during a bomb threat

Cameron Knight and Terry DeMio, Cincinnati Enquirer
·2 min read
People wait near the Kroger store in Corryville on Wednesday evening after the store was evacuated for a bomb threat. UC emergency services issued an all clear just before 5:30 p.m.
People wait near the Kroger store in Corryville on Wednesday evening after the store was evacuated for a bomb threat. UC emergency services issued an all clear just before 5:30 p.m.

Since the beginning of 2022, there have been bomb threats at several area schools, Lunken airport, a string of Kroger stores and even a cookie business.

Unlike hoaxes involving active shooters, bomb threats warrant a different response and the onus is on the school or business to decide whether a building should be evacuated.

Even if the vast majority of threats are false, experts say it is best to take them seriously.

False threats, real consequences: Bomb hoaxes call for practical public, police response

Thomas Stucky is an Indiana University criminal justice professor and former police officer whose expertise includes communities and crime. Stucky has advice on how to respond and how to stay safe during such threats.

“Plan ahead,” he said. “Practice.”

“Think about situational awareness,” Stucky said. “We say things could never happen to us, but they can.”

The idea isn’t to be afraid, he said, but to be prepared, so that you do not panic in a situation where your safety might be threatened.

His suggestions include these:

  • Know your surroundings, anywhere you go.

  • When you walk into a store, a school, an office building, look for at least two exits.

  • Be aware of people around you. Does the behavior of an individual seem out of the ordinary?

  • Know in advance that, if you feel uncomfortable, “listen to that feeling. That feeling is often ignored. We should trust our gut.”

  • If you’re ordered to evacuate, he said, leave your stuff. If you have frozen foods in your cart, leave it. If you are making a transaction at the checkout, go.

  • Ignore social boundaries. If a door has a big red sign stating “alarm will sound” if it’s opened, open it anyway.

  • “As quickly as you can, safely exit the area,” Stucky said. Do not run, try not to bump others and get out.

  • Listen to authorities’ orders.  He also suggests not staying to look at something unusual that’s happening, ever. It’s just what people do, Stucky said, adding, “Your curiosity is not worth your life.”

  • Keep in mind, Stucky said, “Distance is your best safety factor,” said Stucky. It may seem logical, he said, but logic sometimes vanishes during chaos.

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Bomb threats: How should you respond?