TCDSB Policy Register   

Violence Prevention Policy
ARSON/BOMB THREATS V.P.12 

Policy

1. A fire safety plan shall be established for every Toronto Catholic District School Board school and workplace location. In the event of a fire, accidental or deliberately created (arson), the plan shall be enacted. In the case of possible arson, the police shall be involved in the investigation.

2. A bomb threat procedure will be established for every Toronto Catholic District School Board school and work place location. All personnel involved in responding to such incidents will be thoroughly familiar with the appropriate regulations and procedures. In school locations, the principal is designated to carry out these responsibilities. In each of the other Toronto Catholic District School Board workplace designations, the building manager, or equivalent, will be responsible for implementing such procedures.  

Regulations:

1. ARSON

a) Institute the school evacuation, fire safety plan upon notification of a fire.

b) Ensure that the building is evacuated. Consider as paramount the personal safety of all occupants.

c) Evaluate the situation and attempt to determine the location of the fire while awaiting the arrival of the fire department.

d) Extinguish the fire, giving due regard for personal safety and health. Do not attempt this if there is any question about personal safety.

e) Develop a procedure to identify when the school may be safely reoccupied.

f) Complete a Damage Report if any damage was sustained.

g) Contact the Superintendent of Education for the school.

h) Attempt to discover the arsonist. Involve the Fire Marshall's office and/or police in this investigation.

2. BOMB THREATS

a) General preparatory requirements for bomb threats:

i) Each principal/building manager, in cooperation with staff, will prepare a "bomb threat response plan" which is based on this policy, but reflects the unique needs of that building (i.e. size, location, number of floors, staff available, etc.). This may be similar to the variations that schools have developed for fire emergency procedures.

ii) A pre-arranged signal or code should be established to convey the fact that there has been a bomb threat so that search procedures can be initiated. Staff should have a code by which they can signal the completion of the search of their designated area.

iii) All staff shall be informed of the procedures to be followed in the event of a bomb threat and procedures will be rehearsed and reviewed at least annually thereafter.

iv) Each person involved in implementing bomb threat procedures should have a copy of the response plan for that building (i.e. principal, secretary, clerical staff, head caretaker, etc.)

v) The decision to evacuate a school or workplace location will be the responsibility of the principal/building manager and must only be taken after consideration of the circumstances surrounding the threat.

vi) In the event that evacuation is required, the procedures used in fire emergency drills should be employed to vacate the building in an orderly and efficient manner.

vii) In the event of a bomb threat during permit use and outside the regular school hours or office hours, the caretaker on duty in the building shall:

1) follow the procedures as detailed in this policy;

2) report immediately to the Manager of Plant Maintenance for the school; and

3) after consulting with the police, clear the building of all people, if required.

b) Initial response to a bomb threat:

i) When the bomb threat is by telephone call, the recipient should obtain as much information as possible using the bomb threat report form as a guide. This guide should be kept conveniently close to the telephone.

ii) If possible, a second person should call the police on another line (telephone 911) while the first keeps the caller engaged. This may enable the call to be traced.

iii) In any event, responsibility for informing the Metropolitan Toronto Police at 911 rests with the principal/building manager during working hours, the caretaker when on duty after school hours, and the permit supervisor during a permit time.

c) The search procedure to be followed:

i) The principal will initiate a search immediately according to the bomb threat response plan, soliciting the cooperation of teaching, clerical and custodial staff in searching classrooms or other instructional areas, offices, lobbies, stairwells, washrooms, etc.   

ii) The following guidelines should be adhered to in conducting the search:

1) The principal alerts the staff required to participate in the search. A pre-arranged signal or code is recommended, such as a P.A. announcement.

2) If supply teachers are in the school, they will have to be informed quietly by some other method if they are unaware of the code.

3) Do not alarm students. In order to prevent panic, staff must not inform them of the bomb threat.

4) Teachers and other key personnel familiar with an area (i.e. classroom) should immediately, but unobtrusively, carry out the search and should focus upon locating an unexplained object in an unusual place.

5) Special attention should be given to areas to which the general public has easy access such as lobbies, washrooms, stairways, halls, etc.

6) The outside of the building and the parking lot must be included in the search plans.

7) Search areas should be small enough so that the search can be conducted in 15 to 20 minutes or less.

8) Do not stop the search if a suspected object is found, but continue to ascertain that the other areas are clear.

9) All findings, including negative reports, should be relayed to the principal as soon as possible.

10) If an unidentified package or object is found, DO NOT TOUCH IT.

The decision to evacuate may only be made by the principal after consideration of the circumstances surrounding the threat.

Note: It is recommended by the police that no evacuation occur unless something of an unidentified nature is found.

iii) For locations other than schools, the search procedures should parallel those described above, but will be initiated by the building manager and will be modified to suit the local situation.

d) Action to be taken if an unidentified object or package is found:

i) If a suspected object or package is found, the finder must not move or handle it.

ii) The principal must immediately be notified of the following:

1) location of the object;

2) reasons for being suspected;

3) description of the object; and

4) any other useful information.

iii) If the police have not yet arrived, the principal will call 911 again to inform them that an unidentified object has been found, including the information in Regulation 2.d)ii) above.

iv) While awaiting the arrival of the Explosives Unit, the principal should:

1) Establish perimeter control of the area to ensure that no one approaches or attempts to move the object;

2) Endeavour to establish ownership of the object as there have been instances where property has been left behind by innocent people prior to the bomb threat being received;

3) Determine the most direct route to the object; and

4) Detail someone familiar with the building and area where the object is located to meet Explosive Unit personnel on their arrival and direct them to the suspected object.

e) Evacuation procedures to be followed:

i) Should an unidentified object be found, then a quiet and systematic evacuation from the area should be conducted. AVOID PANIC. Never tell anyone that there is a bomb in the building.

ii) Ensure that access/exit routes have been searched prior to any evacuation and that people are detailed to direct students along these safe access/exit routes.

iii) Use fire emergency procedures to effect a safe and orderly evacuation.

iv) Ensure that the evacuation provides a separation of at least 100 meters in all directions from the unidentified object.

v) Under no circumstances should elevators be used. Special provision will have to be made for the evacuation of handicapped individuals.

vi) Once evacuation is completed, the principal/ building manager must be so notified.

vii) Students and/or employees shall return to the building only on the direction of the principal/building manager.

viii) When a school is under permit, the permit supervisor on duty, who is usually a caretaker, will be responsible for the above procedures.

f) Follow-up procedures:

i) For bomb threats in schools during school hours, in addition to notifying the police, the principal must notify the Manager, Occupational Health and Safety. That department, in turn, will notify the Plant Manager, the Coordinator of Plant Operations, the appropriate Superintendent of Education and the Public Affairs Department.

ii) A Bomb Threat Report must be completed. One copy is retained at the school/workplace and the other copy is forwarded to the Manager, Occupational Health and Safety.

iii) Communications with parents with respect to bomb threats will not normally be required except in response to a direct question or where, in the opinion of the principal, communication is needed to clarify erroneous rumour.  

 BM p 194, 30 Mar 95.