Crisis Communications Plan for Bomb Threat at Cobb

County Schools
Crisis Communication Plan Team
School of Media Communications
Kennesaw State University
Dr. Wertz

Written October 11, 2016

Sidney Droese

Chelsey Dugger

Mike Esposito

Hannah Gray

Kelsey Greenwood

Shannon Grogan

Revised: _____________

TBA

Tested:_______________
_____________________
_____________________
Introduction

Why is this plan important?

As technology advances in post 9-11 culture, threats have become more common in all

environments. Since no place is completely safe, each threat needs to be handled with serious

concern. A crisis communication plan needs to be developed in order to effectively approach any

type of threat.

In recent years, the safety of children at school has been threatened. To increase

awareness of bomb threats in school, a study was performed by Dr. Amy Klinger and Amanda

Klinger. Dr. Klinger said, January of 2016 saw 206 school-based bomb threats, an average of

more than 10 threats per school day- the highest number recorded to date (Klinger, 2016).

Elementary schools have the highest risk of bomb threats in America. In Cobb County, there are

68 elementary schools which can increase the risk of a threat. According to Dr. Klinger, it is not a

question of if but when an explosive device will be detonated in a school. When dealing with

a vulnerable population, each threat needs to be addressed as if it will happen.

What can happen if it is not followed?

Without a plan of action, this crisis situation can harm the wellbeing of students. This

plan will outline the procedure that needs to be followed in order to maintain safety in bomb

threat situations. The plan is critical to maintaining order and safety in high-risk situations. If the

plan is not followed to the full extent, the lives of students could crowd hallways in an effort to

evacuate in a disorderly manner and trample over each other which could result in unnecessary

injuries and/or loss of life.

Has this crisis happened before here?

 This crisis has occurred in the Cobb County school district many times and one of the

earliest occurrences was in October of 1999. Since then, Cobb county schools have experienced

many false alarms but that shouldnt decrease the seriousness of the threat. When dealing with

the lives, each threat needs to be taken seriously. This crisis communication plan will help

communication be more effective and timely.

Has it happened to similar organizations?

Yes, in early September of 2016, all schools in Hancock County were released early due

to a bomb threat. Hancock County took immediate action as soon as word of the threat started.

Bomb threats are not only a problem in the state of Georgia, but all public school systems need to

be prepared with a plan if a potential threat occurs.

Acknowledgement

By signing this document, I verify that I have read this plan and am prepared to put it into effect.

President and CEO _______________________

(Signature and date)

Vice President and CFO _______________________

(Signature and date)

Vice President _______________________

(Signature and date)

Office Manager _______________________

(Signature and date)
Rehearsal Dates Schedule

Tabletop Rehearsal Dates: Oct. 25, 2016

Nov. 15, 2016

__________________

__________________

Tabletop: Bomb Threat

Explain an example bomb threat situation. Short scenario: a student reports that he saw a
suspicious device in the boys bathroom. He goes to the school office to report what he found
and a staff member confirms that there is indeed a device that looks like a bomb.

Participants: Coordinators, faculty/staff

Questions asked during the tabletop:

What are the initial actions of key staff and students?

Who is in charge?
Where is the identified?
What is the procedure for successful evacuation of the school?
What are the notification procedures for emergency response personnel?
Where is the outside location where students and staff gather after evacuation?
How do you deal with internal and external communications?
Purpose and Objectives

Purpose:

The mission of the Cobb County School District is to provide an academically rigorous,

caring and safe educational environment in partnership with families, students and the

community (Cobb County Board of Education).

In the event of uncovering an explosive device in a Cobb County School, the crisis plan

will be initiated immediately. The immediate communication with local authorities and parents

of students will allow for accurate decisions to be made and for immediate safety precautions to

be taken with organizations in the area. The next step is to alert local hospitals regarding the

threat of casualties in the event of a detonation.

Objectives:

1. Begin crisis plan within 1 hour of initial finding of package.

2. Provide clear and direct communication with stakeholders (Cobb County Police, parents

of students and faculty).

3. Communicate with organizations within a mile radius of school to inform them of bomb

threat.

4. Alert local hospitals about the possibility of casualties.

Key Publics

First Responders

First Responders Address Head of Dept. Phone

Fire Department 1595 County Services Pkwy Fire Chief: 770-528-

Marietta, GA 30008 Randy Crider 8000

Police 140 North Marietta Pkwy Chief of Police: 770-499-

Department Marietta, GA 30060 John R. Houser 3900

Bomb Squad 140 North Marietta Pkwy Major Robert 770-499-

Marietta, GA 30060 Sampson 3987

Paramedics 3950 Austell Rd SW Emergency Team 770-732-

Austell, GA 30106 4000

Cobb County School Departments

Position Member Address Phone Email

CCSD Chris 514 Glover St 404-278- C.ragsdale@cobbk12.org

Superintendent Ragsdale SE 2009
Marietta, GA
30060

Assistant Sherri Hill 514 Glover St 404-223- Sherri.Hill@cobbk12.org

Superintendent SE 8294
Marietta, GA
30060

Deputy John Adams 514 Glover St 770-282- J.adams@cobbk12.org

Superintendent SE 1198
Marietta, GA
30060

Chief of Staff Kelly 514 Glover St 770-324- K.marshall@cobbk12.org

Marshall SE 9289
Marietta, GA
30060

Community Leaders
Mayor Address Email Phone Fax

R. Steve P.O. Box 609 Marietta, stumlin@mariettaga.gov 770-794- 770-794-

Tumlin, Jr. GA 30061 5501 5505

News Stations

Station/Channel Address News Phone Fax

Director

WSB-TV/2 1601 W Peachtree St Misti Turnbull 1(404) 897- 404-897-

NE 7000 7363
Atlanta, GA 30309

CBS46/46 425 14th St NW Larry Perret 404-325-4646 404-325-

Atlanta, GA 30318 8787

Fox 5 Atlanta/5 1551 Briarcliff Rd NE Mike 404-898-0100 404-898-

Atlanta, GA 30306 McClain 0000

Local Newspaper Personnel

Newspaper Address Phone When/Frequency

Marietta Daily Journal 580 Fairground St SE 770-428- P.M., daily

Marietta, GA 30060 9411

La Vision Newspaper 1394 Indian Trail Lilburn Rd 770-963- P.M., weekly

NW 7521
Norcross, GA 30093

Powder Springs 363 Wentworth Cir 770-265- A.M., daily

Messenger Villa Rica, GA 30180 8425

Electronic Media

Electronic Media Phone Fax Email

Cobb Online 770-484-0293 770-484-0291 jgerber@obbonline.com

Brightside Community Newspaper 404-001-2987 404-001-2977 brightnews@aol.com

Cobb County Board of Education

Members Title Phone Email

Susan Thayer Chair, Post 2 678-773- sthayer.boardmember@cobbk12.org

1877

David Chastain Vice-Chair, Post 678-896- dchastain.boardmember@cobbk12.org

4 6399

Randy Post 1 770-337- rscamihorn.boardmember@cobbk12.org

Scamihorn 8553

David Morgan Post 3 404-702- dmorgan.boardmember@cobbk12.org

1857

David Banks Post 5 404-725- dbanks.boardmember@cobbk12.org

3394

COBB COUNTY SCHOOLS

Crisis Team and Crisis Directory

Title Duties Employee Of Cell Emerg E-mail
ce Pho ency
Pho ne Phone
ne

Crisis Create Randy 770 678 706- rscamihorn.boardmember

Communic training Scamihorn - - 738- @cobbk12.org
ations plan, create (Post 1) 337 638 3759
Manager evacuation - -
plan, 855 364
monitor 3 8
activities,
protects
reputation

Backup Create David 678 678 770- dchastain.boardmember@

Crisis training Chastain - - 736- cobbk12.org
Communic plan, create (Post 4) 896 374 3749
ations evacuation - -
Manager plan, 639 276
monitor 9 4
activities,
protects
reputation
in case the
manager
fails to do
so

Assistant Assist in all David 404 678 678- dmorgan.boardmember@c

Crisis duties of Morgan - - 873- obbk12.org
Communic Crisis (Post 3) 702 740 8234
ations Communicati - -
Manager ons Manager 185 638
7 2

Crisis Gather Scott 678 404 770- ssweeney.boardmember@

Control supplies and Sweeney - - 493- cobbk12.org
Room materials (Post 6) 646 746 4857
Manager needed for - -
bomb threat, 247 482
makes sure 0 6
responsibilitie
s are being
handled,
stays
organized
and aware

Spokesper Is an expert Susan 678 770 770- sthayer.boardmember@co

son 1 on the crisis, Thayer - - 567- bbk12.org
is able to (chair) 773 678 9873
answer - -
 questions 187 568
honestly and 7 5
confidently,
rehearses
before
interviews,
does
background
research to
prepare for
trick
questions

Spokesper Is engaging Brad 770 770 678- bwheeler.boardmember@c

son 2 and willing to Wheeler - - 748- obbk12.org
speak on (post 7) 335 745 8475
behalf of the - -
school board. 598 836
Similar duties 2 5
as
Spokesperso
n 1.

Expert Defend Randy 770 678 706- rscamihorn.boardmember

statistics, Scamihorn - - 738- @cobbk12.org
behind the (Post 1) 337 638 3759
scenes of - -
research 855 364
3 8

Print Having the David 404 770 660- dbanks.boardmember@co

Media contact Banks (Post - - 784- bbk12.org
Contact information of 5) 725 784 2748
Person those who - -
work at 339 274
Atlanta 4 8
newspaper
companies

TV/Radio In charge of Donna Lowry 678- 770- 678- donna.lowry@cobbk12.org

Media contacting (Director of 458- 218- 935-
Contact and Communicati 124 578 4392
Person maintaining a ons 0 1
relationship Department)
with all
television
and radio
stations in
the Atlanta
area.

Legal Providing Nakia Cotton 770- 404- 770- nakiacotton@cobbk12.org

Advisor legal advice 426- 234- 593-
and guidance 357 729 5499
to the client. 1 1
Media Spokesperson

Primary and Office Cell Home Email

Back up

Spokesperson 1: 678-773- 770-678- 770-678- sthaver.boardmember@cobbk12.org

Susan Thayer 1877 5685 5685
(Chair)

Spokesperson 2: 770-335- 770-745- 678-748- bwheeler.boardmember@cobbk12.org

Brad Wheeler 5982 8365 8475
(Post 7)

Spokesperson 3: 678-646- 404-746- 770-493- ssweeney.boardmember@cobbk12.org

Scott Sweeney 2470 4826 4837
(Post 6)

Spokesperson 4: 404-702- 404-740- 678-873- dmorgan.boardmember@cobbk12.org

David Morgan 1857 6382 8234
(Post 3)

Description of Spokesperson: Susan Thayer

Susan Thayer was elected to serve on the Board of Education in January 2015 (Board Members).
With over thirty years of experience in public education, Susan has held multiple positions in the
Atlanta school system. While serving in three different school systems in Georgia, Susan Thayer
has been a teacher, guidance counselor at Osborne High School, and even the principle of
Pebblebrook High School (Board Members). Other positions Susan has help include Director of
Leadership Development and Executive Director of High Schools with the Cobb County School
System and Assistant Superintendent of Curriculum K-12 with the Douglas County School
System (Board Members).

Interview Tips:
Be the expert of the events that happened before, during, and after the bomb threat.
Avoid saying no comment.
Know the steps on how the bomb threat will be handled.
Prepare for the unexpected questions to be asked.
Rehearse well in advance.
Be honest and remain calm while answering questions.
Do background research about every school in Cobb County.
Trick Questions:
What were the steps taken to avoid the bomb threat?
Leading Questions
o You agree that CCBE couldve done better about notifying authorities and the
community, dont you?
Loaded Question
o Isnt it true that you knew about the suspicious package hours before reporting it?
Naive Questions
o Do you think the school board is handling the threat efficiently?
Know-it-all Questions
o I have all of the facts about those involved with the threat, do you mind
confirming them?
Chummy Questions
o Hey girl, off the record, what more do you plan to do to communicate with the
media?
Accusatory Questions
o Who is responsible for leaving the package?
Good-bye Questions
o Thank you for your time, bye, but really quick, did you all prepare at all for such a
crisis?
Emergency Personnel

Cobb County Police Department

140 North Marietta Pkwy NE, Marietta, GA 30060
911
Communications: 770-528-2488
FAX: 770-528-2490

Cobb County Fire Department

1595 County Services Pkwy, Marietta, GA 30008
911
Dept. Info: 770-528-8000
Special Operations: 770-499-3987
FAX: ___________________

Cobb County EMA

140 North Marietta Pkwy NE, Marietta, GA 30060
911
Phone:770-499-4567
PR: 404-635-7000
FAX: 770-499-4558

WellStar Cobb Hospital

3950 Austell Road SW, Austell, GA 30106
Phone: 470-732-4000
PR: 770-630-0106
FAX: ___________________

WellStar Kennestone Hospital

677 Church Street, Marietta, GA 30060
Phone: 770-793-5000
PR: 770-630-0106
FAX: ____________________
Equipment and Supplies

_____ Blueprint of the school

_____ Walkie-talkies
_____ Student/Faculty directories
_____ Evacuation plans
_____ Pens
_____ Paper
_____ Bulletin board
_____ First-aid kits
_____ Telephone
_____ Computer
_____ Television
_____ Radio
_____ Whistles
_____ Megaphone
_____ Caution tape
_____ Code of Conduct Handbook
 References

Bomb Threats in Schools Center for Problem-Oriented Policing. (n.d.). Retrieved October 20,
2016, from http://www.popcenter.org/problems/bomb_threats/

Cobb County Board of Education Board Members. (2015). Retrieved October 19, 2016, from
http://www.cobbk12.org/board/

Cobb County Board of Education Strategic Plan and Targets. (2015). Retrieved October 19,
2016, from http://www.cobbk12.org/board/vision_goals.aspx

Emmett, N. (2016, June 16). Police respond to bomb threat in Cobb County. Retrieved October
20, 2016, from http://www.wsbtv.com/news/local/cobb-county/police-respond-to-bomb-
threat-in-cobb-county/346428991

Klinger, A., & Klinger, A. Bomb Incidents in Schools: An Analysis of 2015-2016 School Year.
Retrieved October 20, 2016, from
https://static1.squarespace.com/static/55674542e4b074aad07152ba/t/57c5091303596ef8e
bd382f1/1472530708250/15-16+School+Bomb+Incident+Report-
Executive+summary.pdf
Fill-in-the-Blanks News Release

For Immediate Release Press Release

Date ________________________

POSSIBLE BOMB THREAT

A bomb threat has been brought to the attention of the staff of (school). Officials have been
called to the scene to investigate the risks. While there is a chance of the threat being false,
precautions are being still being met.

As of right now, students have been evacuated to (___________). The school will remain closed
the duration of the day, but will re-open (weekday) morning.

We never take chances when the lives of our students are at risk. In todays world, all threats
should be handled with serious caution. Its always better to be safe than sorry, Principle XXX
said.

The (verbal/written) threat was first discovered by (_____________). After a quick initial
inspection of the threat, officials of (police department) declared the threat a serious warning.
Chef XXX of (police department) said, Considering that schools are becoming more of a target
for violence, my team takes every warning with severe regard.

This has been the (______) bomb threat in a Cobb county school, but the (______) in the state of
Georgia.
Bomb Threat Fact Sheet

Definition of a bomb threat.

A threat, verbal or written, to detonate an explosive or device to cause property damage,

death or injuries, whether or not such a device actually exists.

What are the signs?

Suspicious device, threatening language, verbal or written, skeptical or violent behavior.

Signs of a suspicious package or device may include no return address, excessive postage, stains,
strange odor, strange sounds, unexpected delivery/placement, misspelled words, incorrect titles,
and restrictive notes.

What precautions should be taken if a bomb threat occurs?

Students, teachers, and administrators will evacuate the building and move to the football
field for immediate safety. Emergency bomb squad and local police departments will be called to
assess the severity of the bomb threat situation. The situation will be evaluated and reviewed for
better assessment in other potential bomb threat situations. Faculty and staff will engage in
tabletop discussions over potential future bomb threat situations.

How will this bomb threat affect students?

Students lives would be put in danger for a potential explosive to erupt if not evacuated
in a timely manner. Students would not be in a safe environment which potentially affects their
academic experience.

How is a bomb threat prevented?

A building floor plan will be used to identify alternative exit routes and evacuation
strategies. Additional security cameras will be installed and school personnel will be assigned to
continually scan all areas of school. Encourage students to always inform faculty/staff about
suspicious activity and suspicious rumors.
Internet Sources

http://www.cobbk12.org/- Cobb County School Board

o News updates
o Facts to stay informed
o Social Media Links for alerts

http://www.cobbk12.org/generalinfo/FamilyInformationGuide/2015-
16FamilyInformationGuide_ElementarySchool.pdf - Family Information Guide
o Student Conduct
o School Closings

http://cobbcounty.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=3011:contact-
us&catid=208&Itemid=1386 - Cobb County Police Department

o Emergency phone numbers

Glossary

Emergency: an event that needs to be

Threat: a situation with the possibility of harming civilians.

Bomb: an explosive device that can be

Package: a suspicious item found

Precautions: a series of steps decided upon before the event occurs to ensure a safe and quick
response to a threat.

Code Blue: the finding of a suspicious package begin contacting local authorities and alert
parents of students, keep all students in classrooms until the area has been deemed safe.

Code Green: the authorities have deemed the package as safe and the lockdown has been raised.

Code Red: immediate evacuation of current location to previously decided safe location; alert all
organizations within a mile radius of the school.
Media Contacts

News Stations

Station/Channel Address News Phone Fax

Director

WSB-TV/2 1601 W Peachtree St Misti Turnbull 1(404) 897- 404-897-

NE 7000 7363
Atlanta, GA 30309

CBS46/46 425 14 St NW
th
Larry Perret 404-325-4646 404-325-
Atlanta, GA 30318 8787

Fox 5 Atlanta/5 1551 Briarcliff Rd NE Mike 404-898-0100 404-898-

Atlanta, GA 30306 McClain 0000

Local Newspaper Personnel

Newspaper Address Phone When/Frequency

Marietta Daily Journal 580 Fairground St SE 770-428- P.M., daily

Marietta, GA 30060 9411

La Vision Newspaper 1394 Indian Trail Lilburn Rd 770-963- P.M., weekly

NW 7521
Norcross, GA 30093

Powder Springs 363 Wentworth Cir 770-265- A.M., daily

Messenger Villa Rica, GA 30180 8425

Electronic Media

Electronic Media Phone Fax Email

Cobb Online 770-484-0293 770-484-0291 jgerber@obbonline.com

Brightside Community Newspaper 404-001-2987 404-001-2977 brightnews@aol.com

Radio Stations

Radio Phone Email Address

Stations

Star 94 404-261- jp@star941atlanta.com 210 Interstate North, Suite 100,

2970 Atlanta, GA 30339

Q100 404-497- Jenn.Fallin@cumulus.com 80 Johnson Ferry Road NE, 5 th

Atlanta 4700 Floor Atlanta, GA 30342

News Radio 404-843- newsroom@newsradio1067.com 780 Johnson Road NE, 5 Floor

th

106.7 6000 Atlanta, GA 30342

 Memorandum:

To: Webmaster

RE: Bomb Threat

Message:

On [insert date], [insert school involved] of Cobb County School District experienced a

bomb threat. We have taken necessary precautions to keep all students, faculty and staff safe. We

are working closely with local and federal police departments and bomb squad officers to assess

and tackle the situation. We will continue to update the public as we receive new information and

will continue to update such on the Cobb County School District website. The Cobb County

School District strives to have a safe educational environment for students, families and the

community.

The following photos are uploaded on the website:

Bomb Squad Officer and Principal during press conference

Crisis leaders sitting at tabletop meeting reviewing the crisis plan

The following links should be uploaded to the website:

Information about the updated safety precautions and action steps for potential bomb

threats

Investigation information from CCSD

Blog Posts

Breaking News

Residents of Cobb County and surrounding counties please be aware that there is an active bomb
threat at one of our Cobb County schools. We have mobilized our crisis plan and have outlined
what we have done so far in light of this emergency.

We have:
Mobilized a response team immediately
Opened up lines of communication with local authorities as well as government agencies
in response to the crisis
We have moved students to a designated safe zone per our outlined crisis response plan
We have alerted local hospitals to have vehicles on standby in the event of a detonation

We have also alerted all businesses within a 2-mile radius of the threats location just to double
down on precautions. We urge you, the residence of Cobb County, to please keep clear of these
areas until we have more information. Parents will also be able to contact their children through
our secure line. To do this, please dial 1-800-324-5867 and provide the requested information for
us to put you in touch with your child/children.

Updated Breaking News

We have an update on the current situation of the bomb threat located at one of our Cobb County
schools. The information we have obtained so far is outlined below, please read carefully to fully
understand.

We have since moved the students of the school to a location outside of any risk radius. Parents
please call 1-800-324-5867 to find out more information on your child/children. We are currently
communicating with SWAT, who is on site as well as the Special Operations head Major Robert
Sampson. Major Sampson has assured us this situation will be wrapped up within two-hour time
and there is no cause for alarm. The package found on site is, as they described, an amateur
bomb with a faulty ignition rendering it useless. Major Sampson has assured us that the bomb
will be disposed of safely and removed.

Please keep checking back for more updates and active information. For more information, as
soon as we have it, please follow our Twitter feed @CobbSchools.

Post Crisis Update

The bomb has been successfully defused. We are also pleased to announce the apprehension of
the culprit who placed the explosive device. Major Robert Sampson and his Special Operations
team handled the situation expertly and your children are safe. Likely many of you have picked
your child/children up from our secondary safe zone by now. If you have not, please call 1-800-
324-5867 to find out where to pick them up.

Going forward, we have learned a great deal from this crisis. Most importantly we learned how
fast communication and open lines of communication can create a smoother operating
experience. If anyone has any feedback they would like to share to help us improve or if you
have any questions, please feel free to tweet us @CobbSchools or to call us directly via 1-800-
324-5867.

- Cobb County Schools

Evaluation

Following any crisis, it is important to evaluate the incident in case of similar crises occurring in
the future. The crisis team will review the crisis plan and revaluate it annually. Evaluations will
be measured using a survey given to faculty and staff of the school involved as well as the
members of Cobb County School Board. Following a bomb threat, the crisis team will answer
the following questions no longer than three days following the crisis so the proper
modifications can be made.

Objectives and Evaluation:

1. Begin crisis plan within 1 hour of initial finding of package.

a. The crisis plan was started within one hour of initial finding of package.
Strongly Disagree | Disagree | Agree | Strongly Agree

b. There was not miscommunication between stakeholders.

Strongly Disagree | Disagree | Agree | Strongly Agree

c. All the necessary supplies were available during the bomb threat.
Strongly Disagree | Disagree | Agree | Strongly Agree

2. Provide clear and direct communication with stakeholders (Cobb County Police,
parents of students and faculty).

a. Is there a way to communicate more effectively if a bomb threat was to happen again?

b. Is there anything you would change about the means of communication between
stakeholders?

c. The crisis team communication often with the stakeholders.

Strongly Disagree | Disagree | Agree | Strongly Agree

d. The stakeholders were provided with clear and direct communication.

Strongly Disagree | Disagree | Agree | Strongly Agree

3. Communicate with organizations within one-mile radius of school to inform

them of bomb threat.

a. The local organizations informed of the bomb threat in an adequate amount of time.
Strongly Disagree | Disagree | Agree | Strongly Agree

4. Alert local hospital about the possibility of causalities.

a. The hospital was notified about the possible casualties in an effective time.
Strongly Disagree | Disagree | Agree | Strongly Agree