No one is immune to bomb threats and attacks. On June 22, 1993, a geneticist at UCSF, became a victim of the Unabomber, Ted Kaczynski, when he received a bomb at his home. In 2008, UC Santa Cruz researchers’ homes and vehicles were bombed by animal extremists.
If you receive a telephone bomb threat:
- Remain calm, be courteous, listen to and do not interrupt the caller.
- Get the attention of another person; hand off a note saying, “call UCSF Police – bomb threat – 9-1-1.”
- If your phone has caller ID display, record number of incoming call.
- Write down the exact words of the caller and threat.
- Don’t hang up the phone. Leave line open.
- Notify a supervisor.
Use this Bomb Threat Checklist to record details from the call.
What to look for when receiving suspicious mail:
- No return address.
- Restrictive markings.
- Misspelled words. Bold type or written.
- Unknown powder or suspicious substance.
- Possibly mailed from a foreign country. Excessive postage.
What to look for when receiving a suspicious package:
- Excessive tape.
- Oily stains, discoloration on wrapper.
- Strange odor.
- Incorrect title or addressed to title only.
- Rigid or bulky.
- Lopsided or uneven.
- Protruding wires.
If you receive a suspicious package or mail:
- Stop! Don’t handle
- Isolate it immediately.
- Don’t open, smell or taste
Immediately call 911 from a campus telephone or 415/476-6911 from an off-campus telephone.
DO NOT USE YOUR CELL PHONE AT THE SCENE.
Wash your hands with soap and water.