5 Communication Rules To Follow When Disaster Strikes

When a disaster or setback interrupts business, getting back in operation is not the only concern. How the information is communicated to customers is extremely critical, but often overlooked. Failure to share information may cost more than the initial interruption; it could mean the loss of customers – perhaps forever.

Let me share my own recent story. I have spent most of last year writing a new book and finished the manuscript at the end of last year (the book is Workplace Security Essentials and now available on Amazon). Now that the proofreading and writing is done, I decided to revamp my website to help market the book.

Redesigning the website and using new software to update it has been a long process. Once I got over the initial learning curve and starting to see a decent website, I have been adding new pages and content in my spare time, usually in the evenings and on the weekends. I was excited about adding a news and events page (visit www.businesskarate.com or click on the “Home” button at the top of this page). The News page includes a recent article in which I was interviewed for a case study in Security Management magazine and I wanted to get the site updated before a networking event.

Unfortunately, I immediately ran into problems. The site was not accessible, either to view it or to access the administration page. I tried to update some files through the file transfer protocol, but that did not work either. I checked a couple of other sites, which stated that the web hosting company was running. However, when I tried to get online help, normally an easy process, I got a message that there was a long delay due to a server problem.

The hosting company does have a status blog to help communicate problems, which I read. The blog itself did not have much information other than there were a few servers not available at that time. Sadly, the comments below the blog were much more informative and interesting, if inaccurate at times. One of the comments claimed that the servers were down as they were located in Ukraine (this was immediately following Russia’s invasion). An employee did respond, explaining that the servers were in the U.S., but the online support personnel were in the Ukraine. There were also numerous comments about switching to other web hosting companies, as this one was down two weekends in a row.

After a couple of days, the status blog was finally updated with a technical statement about a problem with RAID arrays. The next day, there was an email from the company, apologizing for the statement about the RAID arrays and the statement that some of the technical users had pointed out that the problem described did not explain the situation. I am not that technical and would not have caught the error, but clearly, a company that provides web hosting is going to have many techies who would, and did, catch that mistake.

In the end, the company began sending out emails to clients, as well as better updates on the status blog to give some projected timelines on which servers would be available along with prospective times and dates.

For my part, my continuity response was to redirect the URL to this blog. I had considered moving the blog, but decided that I will keep it here as a back-up and may even duplicate some of my main site’s pages as pages on this blog.

More importantly, there were a number of problems with the hosting company’s communications. Initially, there were no communications. Many clients suggested in comments that the company should have notified everyone via email of the down time and issues. After those were posted, the company did begin sending emails with updates and a reminder to check the status blog.

We’ve all seen businesses suffer for one reason or another and I think most customers are willing to be forgiving if the problem is handled the right way. After several frustrating days, my site came back up and I was able to make the updates I wanted. My web hosting is up for renewal this month and as of this moment, I am not sure if I will renew or look for another hosting company. There is a lot of work with switching, from setting up new email servers to the file transfer software and set-up, and I am evaluating what will be best.

There are five key lessons that could apply to any company that encounters an interruption of business.

1.      Fast. Get information out quickly. It may not have all the details and may just be a preliminary note that there is a problem and that it is being dealt with. Do not make your customers investigate to figure out what is wrong.

2.     Accurate. Make sure the information is truthful and even if simplified that the basic facts are correct. Getting caught providing information that is not exactly true undermines the company’s credibility and makes any further information provided questionable.

3.     Ongoing. Keep the information coming. It is nearly impossible to over-communicate. Provide timely updates throughout a business interruption. Following Hurricane Sandy, one company sent clients emails with regular updates about when orders could be processed again. Anyone who needed to place an order would have known how much longer it would take or what the alternatives were based on the periodic updates.

4.     Focus on recovery. Customers want to know when services will be restored. In the case with the web-hosting downtime, many of the customers had customers of their own – businesses that had hired web designers for a web site that was now not available. Be sure to let them know the time line to resume operations. Basically, answer the question, “What’s in it for me?”

5.     Future. Communications should also reassure customers how the problem is being fixed so that it will not happen again. What will the company do differently to prevent a similar problem down the road?

When disaster, or even just a disruption, strikes, follow these five steps with your communications to keep customers in the loop and aware of what is going on. When things return to normal, you will still have customers. And customers are the one thing that your business will find hardest to replace.

 

Eric Smith, CPP is the leading authority on organizational self-defense. He has extensive experience in law enforcement as well as security management. Eric is available for staff education and security awareness training as well as business coaching to help organizations provide safe workplaces. To learn more email Eric@businesskarate.com.

Workplace Security Essentials on Amazon.com

 

 

If you would like to reprint this post, please contact Eric at eric@businesskarate.com.
 

Can You Say Dystopia?

            It was only a few years ago when first heard the word dystopia. It was listed as the world’s number one threat, according to the World Economic Forum. I was not even certain what it meant, although I guessed, correctly as it turns out, that it was the opposite of utopia. So instead of a perfect world filled with happiness and tranquility, dystopia is a dysfunctional world built on anarchy, chaos, unrest and unhappiness.

            The scariest part of this is not that dystopia was the top worry. No, the most frightening part was that my daughter knew exactly what dystopia was. In fact, she likes reading books that are part of a genre increasing in popularity: dystopian books.

            Detective stories, spy thrillers and science fiction seem to be fading into the past. Instead, readers want grim, stark, even depressing views of the future. Oppressive governments, survival struggles and dark battles for freedom call to modern readers. Along those same lines, even zombies lurch across our TV screens in apocalyptic dramas.

            In the not-so-distant past, books about the future painted a much more optimistic view. Space travel, flying cars and an overall quality of life better than the present was depicted.

            I am not convinced that our entertainment proves anything or not about the coming world. However, it is easy to see where these dark, pessimistic ideas come from.

            The news is full of stories about natural disasters, terrorism, fiscal cliffs, government spying on allies and citizens, economic turmoil and ruinous healthcare reform. All of the current topics point directly to fear and uncertainty.

            Throughout history, there have been horrors and challenges. The popularity of dystopian books may have no connection with what the future actually holds. I do know that it is sad that my daughter’s fictional future is filled with oppression, tyranny and defeat, maybe even zombies; rather than great achievements and advancement like space exploration or medical triumphs. People need hope and dreams. And the freedom to pursue those dreams. Without these, we will truly live in a dystopia.

 

Eric Smith, CPP is the leading authority on organizational self-defense. He has extensive experience in law enforcement as well as security management. Eric is available for staff education and security awareness training as well as business coaching to help organizations provide safe workplaces. To learn more email Eric at businesskarate dot com.

 

 

If you would like to reprint this post, please contact Eric at Eric at businesskarate dot com.

13 Must-haves of a Bomb Threat Policy

            For many organizations, responding to bomb threats can pose some difficult problems. It is not something that happens every day, but at the same time is not uncommon.

In light of the devastation from the bombs at the Boston Marathon, it is a good time to review your organizations’ bomb threat response plans. There are some common misconceptions and a solid bomb threat policy and procedure will help employees respond safely. It is vital to have a plan that is in sync with local police and that staff or faculty is very familiar with the procedure and know how to react.

Additional Links

http://businesskarate.blogspot.com/2011/07/responding-to-bomb-threats-part-one.html

http://businesskarate.blogspot.com/2011/07/responding-to-bomb-threats-part-two.html

 

Policy checklist – does your policy include the following elements?

From WikiCommons

1. Bomb threat received and phone check list available

2. Notification to police and ‘incident’ commander (be sure that role is identified, by title rather than name)

3. Evaluate available information to decide whether to evacuate or not

·       How specific or detailed is the threat

·       How accurate was the information provided

·       Have there been similar incidents to other businesses or offices in the area

·       Are there other risks, such as a disgruntled employee or domestic violence situation involving an employee

4. Incident command makes decision on whether to evacuate or not (consider the possibility of an explosive device around the exterior, including vehicles in the parking lot)

5. If there is no evacuation, begin a search of the entire building by the staff most familiar with their areas – keep in mind that unless a suspicious device is found, law enforcement will not normally make the decision to evacuate!

6. Search all rooms, common areas and exterior

·       Search floor to waist height

·       Search waist to eye-level

·       Search eye level to ceiling

·       Search above floating ceilings if necessary

7. Do not use cell phones or radios to communicate as that could trigger an explosive device

8. Do not touch any suspicious packages or items found

From WikiCommons

9. Notify police immediately if something suspicious is found

10. If office is evacuated consider how long the search may last and impact on associates and operations

·       How will staff get personal belongings

·       Consider bringing personal items such as purses or briefcases to avoid leaving behind more ‘suspicious’ items

·       Are office doors locked during evacuation

11. Account for all employees

12. Once the building has been searched and law enforcement agrees, allow employees to return to the building

13. Communicate event details and outcome as needed and lessons learned

Of course a great policy or procedure is only as good as the training to back it up. Since it is somewhat rare, a response plan has to be reinforced with training and practice. Different drills focusing on different parts of the policy is a good way to train and then conduct a drill from start to finish in order to test the policy and the response.

Eric Smith, CPP is the leading authority on organizational self-defense. He has extensive experience in law enforcement as well as security management. Eric is available for staff education and security awareness training as well as business coaching to help organizations provide safe workplaces. To learn more email eric@businesskarate.com.

 

 

If you would like to reprint this post, please contact Eric at eric@businesskarate.com.

5 Lessons from the Original Disaster Prepper – Noah!

                Sometimes, it seems as if everyone is just waiting for the world to implode and civilization as we know it to come crashing to a halt. From the books that are popular, TV shows about apocalyptic end times with zombies abound and even the World Economic Forum predicting chaos as the number one risk facing the globe. There is even a TV series, Disaster Prepper, dedicated to those getting ready for the end to come.

                As it turns out, preparing for disaster is not as new as you might think. Throughout history, wise people have recognized some of the potential threats around them and taken steps to prepare, or better yet, avoid the danger. In the 50’s and 60’s, school children practiced hiding under desks during air raids for attacks that never came (thankfully). Homeowners even built backyard bomb shelters to keep safe.

                It doesn’t start there though. In the Old Testament, Joseph helped Egypt prepare for seven years of famine during the preceding bountiful years to ward off famine and starvation.

                But before bomb and fallout shelters, before Joseph, there was the ultimate disaster prepper – Noah! Noah, as you recall, not only had to prepare for disaster in regards to saving his family; he had to prepare to save the entire planet’s animal species, bringing enough food to last everyone and everything through the entire catastrophe.

                Even today, there are lessons that we can learn from Noah. Lessons that apply on both a personal level for those getting ready for tomorrow’s calamities and also for businesses developing emergency continuity plans.

1. Start before there are clouds in the sky.

Noah did not wait for the first rain drops to start building the Ark. No one knows exactly how long it took to build the Ark, but there is no doubt that it was a great effort and took a long time to complete. Remember, there was no lumber store, no power tools and must have been a second job – after all he still needed to work, farm or ranch to maintain living during the construction. And once the Ark was built, he needed to supply it. If you are developing a business continuity plan, remember to do your thinking, planning and preparing ahead of time. And don’t forget to test the plan – Noah probably tested out his pine tar seals for water leakage before finishing the boat. A leak in your plan in the middle of a disaster would be catastrophic.

2. Assess your needs and build your plans around them.

Noah had an advantage here. He was given his plans in detail by God and knew exactly what kind of disaster he was preparing for. For the rest of us, we need to do a hazard vulnerability assessment or HVA and develop broad plans for any of the potential emergencies that we might encounter. For the home disaster prepper, how much food will you need? Enough for four people, for example, for six months? How about special medicine needs – does a family member have diabetes and need insulin? Businesses also need to think about special concerns and be sure to address those in a continuity plan.

Wikimedia Commons - Brocken Inaglory

3. Be leery of the masses at the start of the disaster.

If a disaster starts and you have the means to survive it, others will want it and may try to take it – by force. Sadly, keeping your plans to yourself may be one of the best security measures you could take. In Noah’s case, there is no mention of what surrounding people thought of his in-land boat-building. Certainly, they must have thought he was nuts and even business leaders trying to prepare their organizations for emergencies will come across the same mentality. But when the rain started, you can bet there was a different attitude and some must have thought of forcing their way onto Noah’s boat.

4. Be patient and keep your sanity.

If you’ve ever driven past a feedlot, you probably remember the smell – not a pleasant memory. Imagine being confined on a boat full of animals. Not to mention the tight quarters with your extended family and the stress of rocking about on the waves, not knowing what was going on outside or what the future would hold. Do not overlook the necessity to have some form of entertainment or bring some pleasure into the disaster planning mode. Keep some books or board games on hand to take your mind off the zombie attack outside. For businesses, keep in mind the mental health of employees during a disaster, even small ones. A business that cannot close for a blizzard, such as hospital, still has to think of employee well-being. What if employees are worried about family or pets etc.? Do not overlook the human factor in continuity planning.

5. Include a plan for returning to normal after the event.

Noah had doves with him on the Ark. To gauge when it was safe to leave the Ark, he sent out a dove, which returned. Later, he sent it out again and it came back with a branch, indicating that things were drying up and improving outside. Finally, it never came back and he knew then that it must be safe to leave. Be sure to plan for the return to normal operations. For organizations, is there a plan to operate from another location while the main site is repaired or restored? For home disaster planners, what is the exit strategy to begin rebuilding a normal life afterwards?

Follow Noah’s example to prepare yourself, your home or your business for any kind of emergency, whether it is global devastation, attack of the living dead or something more mundane and closer to home.

How to Destroy Your Emergency Management Program

Today, I attended a meeting that made my head spin – sadly something more common than it should be.  In this case, the topic was emergency management, something I am normally passionate about.  On this occasion, though, the focus drifted far off track at times, even into the absurd.

The meeting was a community emergency planning group, facilitated by city employees.  In the past, I’ve found the meetings to be either boring or just overwrought with fear mongering.  Boring, for example, when local officials present excessive detail about fire department response.  A leaking truck turns into an accounting of only one agency’s role and with all the attention on the fire department work, there was no accounting for the impact on the community or even other responders such as law enforcement tasked with redirecting traffic around a closed and busy interstate.

Then there is the fear factor.  Speakers have focused on various what-if scenarios and the ensuing death and destruction without any assessment on how likely the scenario could occur in real life.  It reminds me of those who take the fear-uncertainty-doubt (FUD) approach to law enforcement or security.  That is to say, creating fear of the unknown and using that fear in order to promote their agendas or get projects approved.

Then the meeting today lapsed into the unrealistic.  The speaker, a government employee, presented the risks of earthquakes in the area.  He was a very good speaker and I really enjoyed the part where he discussed man-made risks, such as fracking.  However, at one point, he mentioned that some buildings, such as schools and hospitals, should be designed to be earthquake resilient and that it was not expensive at all.  He added that it would add about 5% to the cost of the building.  Every design, remodel or construction project that I’ve been involved with has been ‘value engineered’ to cut the budget, with management looking to eliminate every non-essential (and sometimes the essential) for savings.

From a business perspective, if I tried to make the argument to add 5% more into a new building cost just to make it earthquake resilient, I would be tossed out of the conference room.  Especially since the recommendation was based on an earthquake that happened 150 years ago about 50 miles away.  That includes buildings that are part of the critical infrastructure of the community.  I could see the argument for nuclear power plants as absolutely no risk should be tolerated due to the consequences.

The meeting then moved into the mode of semantics over substance.  There was an announcement that a citizen response group would now use the word “community” instead of “citizen” as emergency response planning was not just for citizens, and non-citizens lived in the community.  If I were visiting in Europe, I would not expect them to change wording for a group like that to accommodate visitors or ex-pats living there.  Certainly, this was an attempt to take a politically correct approach with illegal immigration.  I had to wonder how many illegal immigrants opted not to join solely based on the word citizen versus community (and I am betting none).  Furthermore, there was mention that emergency operation centers had to be ADA compliant.  Again, the focus shifted from the real challenges of handling life and death disasters to meeting various regulations and requirements, well intentioned, but out of place, at least as a priority.

On to the surreal, as the discussion turned to details about how the committee helped businesses recover following a disaster.  The example given was a restaurant whose liquor license expires during a community-wide emergency.  To help the business survive, the city could graciously give an extension to keep the restaurant open.

Imagine a city devastated by a hurricane or earthquake.  As the community struggles to rebuild and recover, rest assured a restaurant with an expired license could continue, at least with a temporary extension.

Emergency management is a very serious part of the modern world.  To be successful, emergency planners should follow basic business principles focusing on realistic scenarios and practical responses to general hazards.  Changing terms or phrases strictly for political reasons undermines disaster response and can actually make community members suspicious about the true effectiveness of the program.

As for me, I probably will not attend another meeting of this group.  And I know that I am not alone.  The room used to be packed, but was less than 1/3 full today.

              

Eric Smith, CPP is the leading authority on organizational self-defense and, on occasion, likes to add his two cents. 

He has extensive experience in law enforcement as well as security management.  Eric is available for staff education and security awareness training as well as business coaching to help organizations provide safe workplaces.  To learn more visit http://www.businesskarate.com. 

If you would like to reprint this post, please contact Eric at eric@businesskarate.com. 

Responding to Bomb Threats - Part Two

               Hollywood loves the drama of explosions, bombs counting down to zero and the last minute defusing of a bomb about to blow.  But real life bomb threats are serious business and can affect your business (see Responding to Bomb Threats – Part One).

               From the first discovery of a suspicious device or the first threatening call, employees will be distracted and have to stop their normal work to search or evacuate.  The response to a bomb threat seems simple enough on the surface, but can quickly become complicated, especially if your organization is not prepared or has not practiced.

There are two most likely ways that you may start your bomb threat response.  The first and most common, is a phone call warning that a bomb is in the facility.  This could be someone with insider information or the suspect himself.  Or a test to see the response to the threat.

The second way is for someone actually finding a suspicious device.  This is what happened with the Time Square bombing attempt.  Two vendors noticed smoke coming from a suspicious vehicle and notified police, leading to the evacuation of the area and eventually to the arrest of Faisal Shahzad. 

Numerous resources online explain what someone should do when they receive a threatening call.  In short, try to get as many details as possible about the explosives and location(s). 

The real trick comes next.  Staff must be alerted to the threat (whether a call or a suspicious device) and the emergency operations plan should be started.  This could be as simple as the incident leader with enough support to coordinate and track searches of the facility.  Also, the leader will need to coordinate with police.  Responding officers will not tell a business to evacuate based on a threat, but they can help assess how credible or likely the threat is.  If similar calls in the area resulted in explosives being found, then that certainly changes the perspective and may prompt an evacuation on a threat alone.  The incident commander will have to weigh those risks and make the final decision on evacuation unless a device has been found.  Another concern is whether or not the building needs to be locked down.  If there is a pending threat, do you want more people coming into a building that may need to be evacuated? 

If there is no reason to evacuate yet, then staff members need to conduct searches of the areas with which they are most familiar.  Before the threat ever starts, employees should be trained on search procedures, both areas that they are responsible for and how to search.  Searches need to include all areas, including restrooms, closets and remote locations.  Searches should be conducted in pairs and done methodically, starting with a search around the floor to waist height of a room then waist to eye level and eye level to ceiling.  In some cases, searches should be done above false ceilings to make certain nothing has been hidden there. 

Be prepared for a lot of suspicious items to be found.  Once people start looking for something odd or out of place, they will certainly find it, if not an actual bomb.  Incident command should be called (landline – no cell phones) and investigate with either police or security.  This can make finding any actual device a little trickier, with the wild goose chases.

During this phase of the incident, two basic things can happen.  One is that a bomb is found.  The other is that one is not found.  If one is found, the organization will have to begin its evacuation plan.  This should be part of the business continuity plan, based on any hazard damaging the facility.  Whether the evacuation is due to a bomb, tornado or utility failure, the end result is the same: operations need to be moved and critical functions continue.

Assuming that nothing is found, the incident commander or leader still has one major task – clearing or terminating the threat.  At some point, the decision must be made that the threat was false and that the facility has been searched adequately to go back to normal.  That will be based in part on the information from the original call, law enforcement information and the search results.  The less specific the threat, a good search and no reported similar incidents combined will mean clearing the bomb threat sooner.  If it is more specific and credible, the process may take a little longer before feeling comfortable with a return to daily operations.

The proper response to bomb threats is well documented with many available resources.  One question is often left unasked.  How many would-be bombers actually call in a threat ahead of time?  In the case of the Times Square bomber, no call was made first and that is more consistent with a terrorist attack, domestic or foreign. 

So if there is no threat and no suspicious device found, then how can any organization protect itself?  The best defense in this case is a strong defense.  A good physical security program that limits access to unauthorized individuals works as a stopper to keep suspects out or at least the areas that they can reach to plant a bomb.  Terrorists usually reconnoiter a target first.  Video surveillance, security patrols, access control are some of the examples of steps that can deter or detect possible terrorist surveillance.  Staff awareness and training is perhaps the most critical element.  Alert employees may detect suspicious people in the area or be the first to notice something odd left behind.

               The key lesson is that the response to a bomb threat starts long before any incident.  Staff awareness and training is vital, as is having a response plan created ahead of time.  Being able to coordinate a search and work with local law enforcement will provide the information needed to make the right decisions.  And, of course, a continuity plan that keeps operations going during any type of crisis.

Eric Smith, CPP is the leading authority on organizational self-defense.  He spent more than a decade in law enforcement before moving into security management.  Eric has developed staff education and security awareness training programs.  As an avid writer and trainer, Eric has created a website and blog at http://www.businesskarate.com/.  The blog includes security tips and suggestions for business leaders and anyone interested in personal security.

Responding to Bomb Threats - Part One

               In the last few months, Colorado has seen several incidents involving bombs and threats at different businesses, including a hospital.  In April, Earl Moore taped two small propane canisters together and tried to ignite them with a small pipe bomb.  Fortunately, the device did not go off.  Moore is also suspected in calling in a bomb threat to a hospital in Longmont, Colorado.  The hospital locked down to keep visitors and others out while the facility was searched.

               This past weekend, another suspect, David Lawless, broke out a window at a Borders bookstore in Lakewood, Colorado and left at least two small explosive devices inside.  Police responded and the bomb team detonated the devices in the store, causing minimal damage.  Lawless had been previously arrested for setting off a homemade bomb outside a Denver strip club in 2005. 

               So far, the motives of these two suspects are unknown.  Perhaps they just liked the idea of setting off some type of explosion similar to a pyromaniac wanting to start a fire. 

               The reality is that any organization could receive a bomb threat or even a real explosive device at any time without warning.  It is not common, but it is also not unheard of.

               Many business managers or leaders have misconceptions about handling bomb threats or downplay the risk, thinking that they are not a target.  However, this mistake could be costly.  A business not prepared to deal with potential emergencies may not recover.  One study noted that 1/3 of businesses that faced an unexpected emergency causing them to shut down never opened back up.  Mishandling a bomb threat, especially a real one, could be devastating and result in avoidable injuries or fatalities to staff or customers. 

               The majority of bomb threats are false – about 98% according to some sources.  One might decide to ignore the threat.  However, that could be extremely risky if there is an actual bomb such as in the cases mentioned earlier.  Imagine how employees or customers would feel to find out that they were not warned about a possible threat.  The best option is to conduct a search whenever a threat is received. 

               Most companies will call the police upon receiving a threat and this is where one common misconception comes up.  Most people believe that once they call the police, the responding officer will tell them whether to evacuate or not.  In reality, most departments will not make that recommendation based on a threat alone, without some more credible or believable information that there is an actual bomb in the building.  The decision to evacuate or not has to be made by the leaders of the organization.  Automatically evacuating at every threat could be disruptive, especially if a disgruntled employee or even a competitor finds out that they could easily stop all work with a simple phone call threat. 

               The general rule of thumb is to evacuate if a suspicious device is found.  But before getting there, a search must be done and should be done with every threat.  Employees most familiar with an area should be the ones to conduct the searches.  They will most likely know what is out of place or what doesn’t belong.  “That’s Mary’s backpack.  She always leaves it there.” 

               Sounds pretty simple so far, right?  The trick comes after the threat comes in and a search is started.  Once people start looking for something “suspicious” they will find it.  How will the incident leader know what is really suspicious or dangerous?  Local police will respond and be able to help look at suspicious items to evaluate the risk.  Still it may be difficult to tell a real bomb apart from poorly wrapped package.  In the first case above, the bomb left in the shopping mall was two propane canisters taped together with a pipe leaking powder and several burned up matches lying nearby.  That should get anyone’s attention! 

               Once a potential bomb is discovered, law enforcement will almost certainly take charge of the scene and help coordinate an evacuation.  Bomb squads can help determine how large an area needs to be evacuated.  For most small bombs, like a pipe bomb, shrapnel is the greatest danger and can be harmful out to 100-300 feet.  However, inside a building, the walls, ceilings and floors may offer protection from shrapnel so the actual evacuation area may not have to be that large, but it is better to err on the safe side and evacuate more than necessary. 

               This is where evacuation plans and continuity plans become critical.  For some organizations, evacuation may not be that difficult.  For others, it is a major issue.  Think of the hospital that received the bomb threat in Longmont.  The suspect who called in the threat might have easily left a bomb anywhere in the building.  The evacuation could mean moving patients, including possible ICU patients, out of the area and maybe even out of the building, transporting them to another hospital.  The logistics and challenges are almost overwhelming. 

               Every organization should have a written plan requiring a search for all threats built on the understanding that it will be the employees doing the initial search in most cases.  Companies also need to develop a procedure to decide when to and how to evacuate and continue operations off-site. 

               Click here for more specifics and information on how to respond to bomb threats.