The Oakland University Police Department (OUPD) will initiate a professional, systematic response to bomb threats and coordinate the response with other police, fire and/or disaster agencies, as necessary, to ensure the safety of all persons affected by the threat. Officers responding to such threats will assume total command of operations and all follow-up investigative activities.
Telephoned bomb threats
Employees receiving calls announcing a bomb threat should obtain as much information as possible from the caller, recording information requested on the Bomb Threat Caller Questionnaire. Every department to whom bomb threats are commonly addressed should have a copy of the questionnaire next to each telephone.
If possible, the employee receiving the bomb threat should signal neighboring employees that a bomb threat is taking place, and to notify OUPD. Departments to whom bomb threats are commonly addressed should have a pre-determined hand signal for these purposes.
Immediately upon hanging up, the employee who received the threat should complete to the fullest extent possible the Bomb Threat Information Form and provide the completed form to OUPD.
Building evacuations
The responsibility for determining whether to evacuate the building(s) or locations named in the bomb threat rests with the Chief of Police or designee if the Chief is unavailable.
- During evacuations, doors to all areas evacuated (except laboratory facilities) should be left open upon exiting the area.
- Elevators are not to be used during evacuations.
- Once evacuated, members of the campus community should remain at least 500 feet away from the exterior of the building or location evacuated (or as otherwise directed by the OUPD).
- Occupants of evacuated buildings will not be allowed to return to the building prior to 30 minutes after the stated time of detonation (or as otherwise directed by the OUPD).
- As additional safety precautions, smoking and/or the use of hand-held electronic devices, including two-way radios, cell phones, pagers, etc., are prohibited inside and within 500 feet outside of any building or location in which there is a potential bomb.
Suspicious mail
In the event a threat is received by letter, it should be preserved for investigation by the OUPD for possible fingerprints, and should not be handled once the letter has been opened.
The OUPD should also be notified of any suspicious letters or packages received (whether or not a specific threat is contained therein) at any location on campus.
All members of the campus community should follow the Suspicious Mail Protocol established by University Mail Services.