Gessler Clinic evacuated twice Wednesday: once for false fire report, then a bomb threat

Ledger staff
·1 min read
Gessler Clinic in Winter Haven was evacuated twice in a two-hour span Wednesday afternoon, once because of a false fire report and the second time for a bomb threat.
Gessler Clinic in Winter Haven was evacuated twice in a two-hour span Wednesday afternoon, once because of a false fire report and the second time for a bomb threat.

Gessler Clinic was evacuated twice in less than two hours on Wednesday, first because of a false report of a fire, and again after a bomb threat hoax.

According to a Winter Haven Police Department news release, the Winter Haven Fire Department received a call just after noon about smoke and haze inside the building at 635 1st St. N. The clinic was evacuated and firefighters searched the campus. They found no smoke or haze.

As staff and patients began to return to the building, a voicemail was discovered in the administration area in which the caller threatened to blow up the building. The clinic was again evacuated.

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Winter Haven police searched the building, along with a bomb-detection K-9 from the Polk County Sheriff's Office. Nothing suspicious was found, police said.

About 2:15 p.m., Gessler Clinic staff and patients were allowed to re-enter the building. Winter Haven detectives are investigating the origin of the call.

This article originally appeared on The Ledger: Gessler Clinic evacuated twice: false fire report, then a bomb threat