Emergency Response

Active threat and bomb threat or suspicious package

What is an active threat?

A situation where there is an imminent or immediate threat to life, where an individual(s) is actively and deliberately harming or attempting to harm people, with or without weapons, usually in a populated area.

Active threat situations are unpredictable, dynamic and usually evolve quickly as the individual(s) intends to cause significant life threatening injuries to as many people as possible in a short time. Because active threat situations are often quick, before law enforcement arrives on the scene, people must be prepared both mentally and physically to deal with an active threat situation.

Your options: Run, Hide or Defend

Run

• Prioritize escape: If there's a safe path, evacuate the area as quickly and quietly as possible.
• Leave belongings behind: Don't delay your escape to retrieve personal items.
• Warn others: If possible, alert others to the danger and encourage them to evacuate as well.
• Call 911: Once you're in a safe location, call emergency services and provide them with as much information as possible.

Hide

• Find a secure location: If running isn't possible, move to a room that can be locked and barricaded.
• Barricade the door: Use heavy objects to block the door and make it difficult to enter.
• Turn off lights: Reduce visibility and make it harder for the attacker to find you.
• Silence your phone: Turn off the ringer and vibrations, but leave the phone on in case you need to call for help.
• Stay silent: Avoid making noise that could reveal your location.

Defend

• Last resort: Only resort to defending yourself if you are cornered and have no other options.
• Use any available object: Use anything you can find as a weapon to defend yourself.
• Act aggressively: Be as aggressive as possible and try to surprise and overwhelm the attacker.

Bomb threat or suspicious package

If you receive a bomb threat, stay calm and get as much information as possible, including:

• Where is the bomb?
• When is it set to go off?
• What kind of bomb is it?
• What does it look like (appearance of the container)?
• Permit the caller to say as much as possible without interruption and take note of everything said.
• Record the caller's phone number if possible.
• Be aware of background noise, special voice characteristics (stutter, accent, language, male or female), music, machinery, etc.

Call Security immediately and advise that a bomb threat has been received.

Kamloops campus security
250-828-5033

Williams Lake campus security after hours
250-214-9610

Suspicious package

• Do not touch or attempt to move the object.
• Evacuate the area and call Security immediately.
• Do not use the fire alarm to achieve evacuation of the area - tell others as you leave.