Police probe school bomb threats

Springfield High School officials told the Springfield School District at a meeting this week there were two bomb threats at the high school last month.

http://www.rutlandherald.com/article/20111209/NEWS02/712099907

Published December 9, 2011 in the Rutland Herald
Police probe school bomb threats

By Christian Avard
Staff Writer

SPRINGFIELD —Springfield High School officials told the Springfield School District at a meeting this week there were two bomb threats at the high school last month.

Principal Bob Thibault said the threats were made at the school’s River Valley Technical Center on Nov. 22 and at the high school on Nov. 30.

According to Springfield Police Chief Doug Johnston, an individual called police about the River Valley Technical Center bomb threat while a local resident found a note in a high school bathroom.

Springfield Police and the fire department responded to the threats and both schools were evacuated. No one was harmed during the bomb threats and no explosives were found at either school.

Thibault said the evacuations went smoothly and students and staff proceeded in a calm and orderly manner. The bomb threats occurred at the end of the school days and students were dismissed once the police and fire department declared it safe.

“A letter will go out to parents to give them information on how it was handled,” Thibault said. “We had an assembly to discuss the incidents. We brought in both chiefs, they addressed the students, and they talked about the effects on the community and the consequences involved.”

Springfield High School and the police and fire departments discussed the two incidents recently. After the meeting, Thibault said the school will fine-tune its school evacuation procedures, including improved communication with both agencies.

School Board Vice Chairwoman Janice Garfield asked Thibault how much it costs for town agencies to respond to bomb threats. Thibault was unsure but there may be a town ordinance requiring the culprits to pay the town back the cost of emergency services involved in the case of a hoax.

“That’s what we were told. That’s what they talked about at the meeting,” Thibault said.

According to Johnston, police receive bomb threats at the high school yearly. He said there are no commonalities among individuals who make bomb threats. Each of them has different circumstances and intentions and make investigations challenging.

Police are investigating the origin of the bomb threats.

Anyone with information should call the Springfield Police Department at 885-2113.