Trust school officials when bomb threats emerge
Starting with the infamous 1927 Bath Explosion in Michigan, in which a school board member dynamited a school in a disagreement over taxes — killing 45 people, mostly children, and injuring 58 — the sad reality is that educational institutions have been “soft” targets for individuals bent on wreaking havoc.
Naturally, parents worry about whether they should send their children to school if there is a bomb threat in the air. Yet, as troubling as the possibility of a bombing is, parents should remember both that schools are the safest places for children to be during the day and that the vast majority of threats are hoaxes or pranks.
In light of the recent school closures in Los Angeles in response to a bomb threat, combined with similar incidents in the Miami Valley, parents and educators find themselves on the horns of a dilemma: do they send children to school if a threat emerges? And if a threat is uncovered, how far should educators go in keeping schools open?
Of course, learning about bomb threats in the news, on TV/radio, social media, or the internet is disconcerting to parents, in particular, because they love their children and want them safe. Still, when bomb threats become known, parents and the public should trust school officials, many of whom are parents, all of whom care about their students, because they act in conjunction with state and local police as well as federal agencies in evaluating threats. Those on the school scenes, and only those who are there, can fairly assess the credibility of bomb threats. It is thus puzzling why some officials second-guessed educational leaders in Los Angeles who closed their schools in response to a bomb threat. Having recently witnessed the tragic terrorist attacks in relatively nearby San Bernardino, when they deemed the threat credible, officials wisely took precautions by closing the schools in order to be “safe rather than sorry.”
Parents naturally worry about their children. However, parents should rest assured that their children are safe in schools because boards, acting with other public agencies, have developed emergency plans to ensure the well-being of students. Parents should be comforted by the knowledge that officials have taken precautions to keep schools safe. For instance, in response to credible bomb threats (and other dangers), educators have enacted policies to keep schools safe by requiring students and teachers to practice evacuations as part of emergency drills if they must vacate facilities. Further, once first responders arrive at schools, no one is allowed to re-enter facilities until searches are completed, all threats have been removed, and the premises are safe.
Parental knowledge of howmuch thought is put into school safety should help to allay concerns about the well-being of their children. After all, if threats can force the closure of schools and other public places, then those making them would achieve their goal of disrupting life for the public at large. This is a situation that simply cannot be allowed to occur.
It goes without saying that no one wants to put their children, themselves, or others at risk of harm if a bomb threat emerges. At the same time, though, and as disturbing as bomb threats are, it is worth recalling that there is always an element of risk in life, whether walking down a street or driving in a car, that no one can be guaranteed safety at all times. Certainly, too, no one wants to tempt fate — but insofar as most threats are pranks, we must learn to go about our lives as if nothing were wrong.
Because educational, and other public, officials are in a state of heightened awareness to keep schools safe during today’s unsettled times, parents should weigh the pros and cons of keeping their children home if bomb threats emerge. Ultimately, parents should trust educational leaders and safety professionals, put their minds at ease, and send their children to school where they can learn in safety. By standing strong, facing threats together, and going about our lives as best we can, including keeping our schools open once bomb threats are diffused, we can overcome those who wish us harm.