Bomb threat clears Loucks-Edison; School evacuates about an hour after anonymous call

[Ian David]

Bomb threat clears Loucks-Edison
School evacuates about an hour after anonymous call; police give 'all clear'

Tuesday, September 25, 2007

By Leslie Fark

of the Journal Star
PEORIA - Loucks-Edison Junior Academy received a bomb threat at about lunchtime on Monday, forcing everyone to evacuate the building.


About 12:25 p.m., a man called the 2503 N. University St. school claiming there was an explosive inside. Authorities later searched, but no bomb was found.

"It was an anonymous call," District 150 Associate Superintendent Cindy Fischer said. "They said, 'This a bomb threat.'"

Within minutes of the call, the school's "crisis plan" was put into action. About 350 children were released by classroom and, under the supervision of their teachers, walked about four blocks to a pre-determined location, a church, as part of the evacuation plan.


<snip>

The children stayed at the church, whose location Fischer asked to be kept secret* so it can continue to be used in emergencies, for about an hour.

More:
http://www.pjstar.com/stories/092507/TRI_BEF431B2.013.php

*Secret, that is, until The PJ Star published it.

[OneBlueSky]

1. when I was in high school in the early 60s, we'd get one or two bomb threats . . .

almost every year . . . at that time, no one took them very seriously, although we all had to evacuate the school until the fire department came in and gave the place a good look-see . . . generally didn't take more than a half hour/forty-five minutes, and we were back in class . . .

how things have changed, particularly since Columbine and 9/11 . . .