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Responses to receiving suspicious letters or packages:

• Stay calm
• DO NOT TOUCH THE PACKAGE
• Contact SUPD at (617) 573-8111. Please identify the location of the incident and provide the officer as much information as possible while staying on the telephone
• They will contact the Boston Police Department, Boston Fire Department, Risk Manager, OEHS, and Facilities as necessary
• The Risk Manager will contact the ICS Core Team as necessary
• If the package is opened or leaking, seal the room (close windows and lock the doors if you can do so), restrict access to the area, and verbally notify other persons in your immediate area of the threat of a suspicious substance
• If you open a letter or package that may have contaminated you, or there is some sort of foreign substance in the envelope or package, place the letter back into the envelope/package and close it back up. When you call SUPD, tell the dispatcher you have opened the envelope/package, there is a substance inside, and what you have done up to that point
• If the package is unopened, seal and leave the room, and await direction from the proper authorities
• In buildings with centrally controlled HVAC, Facilities will shut off the air supply and, when appropriate, return fans to the affected area(s)

Receipt of a Telephone Threat

• Get as much information about the caller as possible
• Keep the caller on the phone as long as possible
• Tell a nearby coworker to contact the Suffolk University Police at (617) 573-8111 and indicate that a threat (bomb/bio-chemical, chemical, etc.) is being received via telephone
• If possible, transfer the call to University Police Dispatch at (617) 573-8111. To do this with an NEC phone, press the transfer (TRF) button and the caller will be put on hold, dial 8111, tell the dispatcher what you have and that you are transferring the call to them and hang up. If the extension is busy or the dispatcher does not want to take the call, press (TRF) to get the call back
• SUPD will contact the Risk Manager who will notify the ICS Core Team as necessary
  • See Section 8.1 Threat Call Protocol. Complete the checklist to the “greatest extent possible”. If an area of threat is specified, be prepared to evacuate specified floor, floor above, and floor below at SUPD discretion

Responses to Bomb Threats:

• Stay calm
• Contact SUPD at (617) 573-8111. They will contact the Boston Police Department
• SUPD will contact the Risk Manager who will contact the ICS Core Team as necessary
• All incidents will be addressed on a case-by-case basis

Bomb Threat Protocols:

• Remain calm, be courteous, do not interrupt the caller
• Do not discuss the threat in public
• Do not touch suspicious packages, letters or objects
• Do not start or repeat rumors
• The risk will be evaluated and further measures taken if necessary. SUPD will evaluate the risk in conjunction with University leadership. Based upon that risk assessment, further emergency measures may be implemented as necessary. If the risk is found to be minimal, other areas of the facility will not be disrupted and any necessary actions to return the area involved to normal activity will begin as soon as possible

In cases that SUPD does respond, they will:

• Isolate the substance and or the suspicious package 
• Establish communication and control, warn others in the area
• Set up a perimeter
• Evacuate people in the area if necessary
• Attempt to identify persons involved and those persons adversely impacted
• Provide first aid
• Gather evidence
• Notify the Risk Manager
• Attempt to render the scene safe upon investigation

Suffolk University Police or other threat respondents will take responsibility for further action and will contact you if they need additional information.