irish.lemon

literally the last thing i needed today was to be chased out of the john t. richardson library whilst blogging over a bomb threat.  but, as fate would have it, i was…wasn’t a pleasant experience, although i figured it was a hoax.

i knew something fishy was going on when i got in there though.  there were at least five campus safety officers standing around the entrance, but it was over 45 minutes before the warning message went off. 

i wasn’t the least bit satisfied with the level of communications the university provided, or complete lack thereof.  the threat was announced around 11:30am and i didn’t hear another word about it ’til i got to the loop for my PR class, where i currently sit.  now, we have this alert system that we as students sign up for to receive alerts about possible life-threatening events or other emergencies.  they’re sent via email, text, and phone call…i signed up for all three since i’m a commuter now.  however, i didn’t receive a single notification and it wasn’t ’til 4:58pm that i got this email:

Dear Students,

We are sending this to you because you are registered for a class in Lincoln Park on Thursdays. As you may know, we received a bomb threat this morning at the Richardson
Library.

Public Safety immediately notified Chicago Police to assess the situation. After a preliminary investigation, a precautionary evacuation was ordered. No other buildings were affected and no classes were cancelled outside the library. At 2:30p.m., Chicago Police gave the all clear to the library, which was declared safe andreopened.  All campus activities and classes in the building and the entire Lincoln Park Campus are continuing today as scheduled.

In response to this situation, DePaul activated its public address and electronicmessage sign system in the library. A large number of Public Safety and Chicago Police officers were on the scene to personally notify those directly affected and
to direct those outside the building away from any potential danger. DePaul also sent an e-mail to the desks of all employees to alert them to what was happening and posted the information on its home page, DePaul’s main source of information in an emergency.

Our emergency communication staff were prepared to issue a DPU Alert if the situation were to escalate. Thankfully, that did not become necessary.

Some students have asked why a DPU Alert was not issued. That system notifies approximately 30,000 people simultaneously in up to three different ways: telephone, e-mail and text message. It was established for use in life-threatening
emergencies with immediate danger and is not designed to be a primary alert system.

First responders, who are most likely to be Public Safety officers and Chicago Police or Fire personnel, will always direct those in immediate danger to safety.  DPU Alert will be used if the situation is determined to pose imminent danger, and will almost always be the third notification to those in the area when a decision is made to activate it. 

Unfortunately, bomb threats are a routine prank designed to disrupt activities at many large institutions like universities, high schools, airports and shopping malls. DePaul takes every threat seriously. It calls on the expertise of the highly trained Chicago Police Department to evaluate the danger level and then responds accordingly, always ready to take the next step if and when the situation becomes more serious.

We regret the inconvenience this unfounded threat caused.

Chicago Police and Public Safety are actively investigating to determine who made the threat. If a suspect is identified, he or she will be prosecuted to the full extent of the law. If you have any information about the threat, please call Public Safety at 773/325-7777.

Sincerely,

Bob Wachowski
Director of Public Safety