School bomb threat #8 another false alarm
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March 7, 2013 |
Just four days after the last bomb threat forced
evacuation of a Boundary County school, and only
one day after it was announced that a suspect
had been suspended, Bonners Ferry High School
students again endured the all-to-familiar drill
of evacuating again today.
Once again, the threat was found scrawled on a
wall, the very same threat scrawled in a men's
restroom stall three or four threats ago; "Bomb
3:30." This time, it wasn't scratched into a
restroom stall; only two remain open near the
main office, both monitored with a guard at the
door logging who goes in and out.
This time, the threat was found in the high
school men's locker room.
"With three PE classes going on right outside
the door, there is no way to identify who did
this," said Boundary County Emergency Management
Incident Commander Bob Graham.
The threat was again discovered and reported
right around lunch time and another full
emergency response was dispatched at 11:45 a.m.;
police, the Sheriff's Office, fire crews and
ambulance personnel. As is the case in any
emergency involving hazardous materials, and the
threat of an explosive device is one, Graham had
to notify State Comm, which in turn sent an
alert to all state and federal agencies
designated to respond to the purported threat.
Emergency crews searched the scene, again
finding nothing, and students returned to class
an hour later, at 12:45 p.m.
For the eighth time this year, at both the high
school and junior high, this one was a false
alarm.
"We're a laughing stock," Graham said. "So far,
all the threats have been idle, but what happens
if someone decides to really plant a bomb? It
really worries me that we'll become complacent
and miss the real one because of all the idle
threats."
Everyone, from school officials, teachers and
staff to emergency responders, parents and the
students themselves have expressed frustration,
often tinged with outrage, over the apparent
inability to put an end to the reign of terror.
But Graham said that everyone involved is doing
all they can under rules and regulations
that have evolved in the past few years, tying
their hands with a sticky web of political
correctness.
Each time a report is made, News Bonners Ferry
works to get word out quickly, posting news on
the website, sending out email alerts and
posting the news to two newsbf Facebook sites,
most often as emergency responders are just
reaching the scene.
Each time, readers comment, with growing concern
and frustration with each new incident.
"I think it's a little sad that blame is being
put on the school and the school district," one
mother wrote as today's threat was being
investigated. "Sure, it's probably true that a
little harsher punishment needs to be installed,
but ultimately WE are supposed to be responsible
for raising our children. Not the school, the
teachers or the school board. There is a
complete lack of any respect and I think maybe
it's important for us to reflect on what is
going on in our homes and in our community as a
whole first and foremost. If I had pulled this
when I was a kid, I would be more terrified of
what happened at home than at school, and I
don't think these kids even feel somewhat the
same."
"I agree that it starts at home, but I've also
heard stories of lack of disciplining students
by the administration" wrote another. "When Mr.
Schwartz was the high school principal, he stood
in the hallway with his arms crossed and never
cracked a smile, and I was terrified of him. He
was present and we knew he meant business.
Parents today are a large part of the problem
because they jump to the defense of their
children instead of supporting the staff and
encouraging discipline."
"My thoughts are with the school staff and
emergency crews," wrote a third. "They are all
between a rock and a hard spot. It seriously
makes me sick to think that the young people who
are responsible for these threats are our future
leaders."
While the threats so far have been confined to
the high school and middle school, the effects,
and fear ripple to all grade levels.
"I had my five yearr old kindergartner ask me
this morning if it was safe for her at school,"
one Mom wrote. "She hears about these threats
and now she is worried about going to school. It
doesn't just affect the high/middle school kids,
but all the children. Five years old is too
young to worry about this stuff!"
Concern has also been raised about the effect
these threats will have on Tuesday's M&O levy.
"So someone please explain to me why we should
vote 'yes' on the levy?" one parent wrote. "I am
finding it very difficult to say yes. Why? So my
money can go to the education that isn't being
received?"
"Making a connection between these ridiculous
threats and the levy are ignorant and
shortsighted," another responded. "The school
staff do an amazing job day in and day out, from
the bus drivers to the custodians, teachers to
food service. These people are just as upset as
anyone. Blaming them for the actions of one (or
a small number) bad kidis ridiculous, as is
sanctioning the district and all of the great
staff and students in Boundary County by voting
'no' on the levy." |
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If there are 400 students at the High School,
approximately 200 are male. We know that the
perpetrator is male since the written threats
are in boys bathrooms/locker rooms. How
difficult would it be to hire a 'hand writing
analyst' to review the style of written threats
and compare to class (i.e. English) assignments.
Reviewing male students only, this shouldn't be
a difficult study. |
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Greg Garrison |
I too have been wondering why, after the second
bomb threat the school district and sheriff's
office did not bring in a hand writing expert
and finger print specialist ... are they really
this incompetent at protecting the students of
Boundary County?
How can these trained officials not know about
forensic evidence and how to collect it? I also
would like to know more about the monitoring
process of the rest rooms ...
1- Is only one student permitted at a time in
each of the restrooms?
2- Does the school district have a trained
employee that goes in after each single student
who uses the restroom and does a thorough check
of each stall and all the walls, documenting
with a digital camera the condition of the
restroom and cross referencing each set of
photos the student, before another student is
permitted to enter?
If the school district does not do these things,
then they are only making uneducated guesses and
assumptions as to who may have made these
threats. The school district and sheriff's
office have no forensic evidence linking any
student through hand writing, finger prints or
digital pictures of the restrooms. Without the
proper procedures and evidence, suspending a
student is premature and devastating to this
student's future, family and friends. Not to
mention this student's personal safety as
evidenced in the
www.newsbf.com article dated March 4, 2013.
"A number of male students have indicated that
they would prefer to beat the culprit to a pulp,
and then call authorities." |
Debbie Atwood
Bonners Ferry |
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