Dealing with bomb threats in the office

Recent events once again put into the spotlight the destruction that a bomb can do.  Attendant to the destruction that a bomb actually does is the dread and terror that it inevitably sows in its aftermath. The threat of a bomb attack, if not properly managed, can bring a community to its knees. This is also true for companies such as malls, terminals, parks, and other establishments that are places of convergence for a large number of people.  For these companies and the people working in them, knowledge in dealing with bomb threats and actual bomb explosion incident is an invaluable tool.  There are many aspects and perspectives that this knowledge can be studied. In this edition of The Corporate, we will discuss this menace with the company leaders and middle managers in mind.  We hope that this article will give them an insight into how authorities deal with this menace and how can they contribute to it to defending the interests of their companies in particular and their communities in general.

Let us start with the basic technical definitions that experts use.  A BOMB is a device capable of producing damage to people and property or even death when detonated or ignited.  Experts classify bombs into two categories: Explosive Bombs are those that cause damage by fragmentation, heat, and blast wave while Incendiary Bombs are those that generate fire and produce heat without a substantial explosion.  A grenade is an example of an explosive while a Molotov Cocktail is an example of an incendiary device.  Bombs are further classified into two types, this time, based on their maker or manufacturer.  Conventional bombs are those manufactured for legal military use and based on current international laws and conventions.  Most of conventional bombs can only be legally dropped from an aircraft. This leaves all the other bombs into the second type: the Homemade Bomb or Improvised Explosive Device (IED) which could be anything under the sun and with the sole intention of hurting, killing, or destroying persons and property.  Some examples of IEDs aside from the previously mentioned Molotov Cocktail are the Pill Box, Letter or Package Bomb, Car Bomb, Landmine, and the like. 

All bombs have common COMPONENTS and experts use the acronym PIES for Power Source, Initiator, Explosive Filler, and Switch.  For IEDs, there is the so-called Initiating Action which is the force required to start the device to function.  These forces may be mechanical, chemical, or electrical, or any combination of the three.  Examples of these are Pressure which is the application of force or weight on a plate or switch, Pull or the application of pulling action on wires, rods, triggers, strings, and the like, Tension Release which is the breaking or cutting of taut tripwires, causing a chain reaction, Vibration, and others such as magnetic switch, time-run-down or more popularly known as the time bomb, delay, chemical reaction, friction, exposure to light, and many others.  The type of initiating action that can be used to trigger an IED is only limited by the imagination of the bomb maker.

There are two FIRING SYSTEMS used to trigger a bomb:  the Non-Electric System like the fuse of a firecracker that needs to be lit, and the more common for IEDs nowadays, the Electric System that uses a battery to trigger it.

Bombs can be initiated in three ways:  By Time wherein the detonation or initiation happens after an elapse of time, By Action where the initiation is triggered by the action of the victim, and By Command or Controlwhere the detonation is caused by the action of the perpetrator.  All these three types of initiation are used by IED-using terrorists depending on their targets and operational environment.

In the event of a bomb threat and a suspicious package is actually found, experts offer the following Safety Precautions:

a. Do not touch it;

b. Do not move or attempt to open it;

c. Stay away from it;

e. Do not panic; and 

f. Immediately report to the authorities.

Here are some tips on HOW TO DETERMINE IF A BOMB EXISTS in a suspicious package or container through see, smell, and listen to inspection:

a. Visualize the suspected object at a distance to see if there are any connections such as wires to its surroundings.

b. If there is none, take a closer look to see if there are protruding wires or gadgets.

c. Verify, without touching, if the suspected object emits the smell of gas or chemicals.

d. Assess if the presence of the suspected object in the area is unusual or strange.

e. Be quiet and listen if there is a tic-tac sound of a clock.

BOMB SEARCHING:  In bomb threats to a building or facility, most authorities agree that the regular occupants of that building or facility can make the most effective and fastest search due to their familiarity with the layouts.  They just have to be briefed and instructed that THE PRIMARY MISSION OF PERSONNEL INVOLVED IN THE SEARCH is only to search for and report any suspicious object.  THEY SHOULD NEVER MOVE, JAR, OR TOUCH THE OBJECT OR ANYTHING ATTACHED TO IT.  MOST IMPORTANTLY, THE REMOVAL/DISARMING OF A SUSPECTED BOMB MUST BE LEFT TO PROFESSIONAL BOMB TECHNICIANS.

Common OUTSIDE AREAS where IEDs had been left in the past are; trash cans, street drainage, mailboxes, parked cars or trucks, dumpsters, potted areas, quadrangles, and the like. The following are common inINSIDE AREAS;  mail parcels and letters room, restrooms, receiving rooms, trash receptacles, ceiling with removable panels, inside desk and storage containers, utility closets, areas hidden by drapes or curtains, boilers, and refrigeration rooms, air conditioning units and air vents, under the table or bar counter, under stairways, recent repair/patching segments of walls, floors or ceiling, firehouse racks, flammable storage areas, records and storage areas, passageways, stairways, and access doors, or even just in plain sight.

THE FOLLOWING ARE THE RECOMMENDED ACTIONS TO BE TAKEN WHEN A SUSPICIOUS OBJECT IS LOCATED:

1. The location and description of the object must be immediately reported to the appropriate personnel. This information is relayed immediately to the person in charge of the control center (usually the security officer) who will call the police, fire department, and rescue units as appropriate.  When these agencies arrive, they should be met and escorted to the scene.

2. To minimize damage from a possible detonation, sandbags or mattresses, non-metal shield plates, and the like may be placed around the object.  But never attempt to cover the object.

3. The danger area should be identified and blocked off with a clear zone including below and above the object.  If possible, the building should be immediately evacuated

4. Check to see that all doors and windows are open to minimize primary damage from blast and secondary damage from fragmentation.

5. Do not attempt re-entry into the building until the device has been removed/disarmed, and the building is declared safe for re-entry by the appropriate authorities.

KEEP SAFE EVERYONE!

Note: This article was previously published in the printed issue of The Corporate, Guide and Style for Professionals Magazine.

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About the Author: The author is the incumbent Director of the Quezon City Police District.