5.14.2007

 

Bomb threat

I am home early today because someone emailed several bomb threats to my employer. I'm fine, but a little frustrated because when the second email came and said something to the effect of "I see you haven't evacuated yet," they did not start evacuating us, though they did send out an email instructing everyone to turn off our cell phones. It wasn't until a third email, with another follow up threat, arrived that they had us leave the building. We moved to the parking lot, and then into some adjacent buildings while the authorities cleared the building of occupants and started sweeping it for bombs. Around noon we were told that they expected the full sweep to take another 3 to 4 hours and that we would be allowed to go home.

Tomorrow we're supposed to go to work as normal and we'll be turned away if the building is still deemed to be at risk. This also frustrates me because over the last year they've been rolling out a disaster recovery and staff contact plan, which has required us to read through many PowerPoint presentations about how they will keep us informed if the building is inaccessible etc. I understand that this is different from a hurricane or some other disaster that might force us to relocate for a period of time, but what better time to test the system and get us used to it? Instead I get to drive in and look for flashing lights in the parking lot. So it goes.

—Jack

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So did you get in this morning?
-a

# posted by Anonymous Anonymous : 5/15/2007 8:07 AM  

Awhile ago we had a mercury scare. I don't remember the exact chain of events but they thought some guy who works a second job cleaning the library was contaminated when he came in. Of course, the first thing that we the lowly workers found out was when someone tried to leave for lunch and found there were half a dozen cops at the door not letting anyone in or out. Then we found out from the local news website that it was possibly mercury. Then the pregnant lady in cataloging freaked out and called her doctor (still no official word from administration). Finally about 20 minutes later, we get an email from the new library communications officer along the lines of, We don't know what is going on, but don't talk to the press. At any rate, not as immediately threatening as a bomb threat, but it did get people all shaken up and prove that the new communications person isn't that good at well...actually communicating. Last year we also had a guy drive an SUV through the pit at noon trying to kill people in retalliation for what the US is doing in Iraz. Amazingly, he didn't actually kill anyone. I mean really amazingly. I wasn't outside at the time fortunately. The scary thing about that situation was that he later confessed that he had wanted to use a gun, but he didn't think anyone would sell him one because he looked middle eastern. Just like the old curse..."may you live in interesting times." -katherine

# posted by Anonymous Anonymous : 5/15/2007 11:47 AM  

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