How to deal with a bomb threat at work, and how to explain a school threat to a child

On Wednesday morning, a series of bomb threats were made to hundreds of schools across Ireland.

Gardaí investigating the threats said they have been assessed as “not credible”.

A large number of media outlets in Ireland and abroad also received threats, including RTÉ, The Journal, Reuters, The Guardian, BBC, Sky News and others.

Though the threats come in the same week Dublin hosts up to 50 European and world leaders at two summits as part of Ireland’s presidency of the Council of the EU, it does not appear the threats are specifically aimed at disrupting those events.

The latest development follows a series of bomb threats, all of which were found to be false, against Irish and European media outlets and airlines last week.

What should you do if your place of work receives a bomb threat?

Deputy Garda Commissioner Paul Cleary provided guidance on what actions you can take and how An Garda Síochána will respond, in a video posted to social media on Tuesday.

“Our priority is, and always will be, the safety of the public,” the post read.

Firstly, upon receiving a bomb threat either by email, a letter or any other message, gardaí should be contacted immediately by calling 999.

Members of the public are asked to provide as much detail as possible about the threat and communication received.

Once notified, the Garda regional control centre will assess the credibility of the threat.

Once the threat has been assessed, the control centre and/or the gardaí responding will advise on the “most appropriate course of action”.

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Gardaí said they would do this as quickly as possible.

Cleary said it is “important to understand that a bomb threat does not automatically mean that a building needs to be evacuated”.

Instead, he said, attending gardaí will assist with this decision.

In some cases, following an assessment, the appropriate response may be to provide advice or carry out a “cursory search” of the premises.

Businesses and premises managers have the ability to make their own decision on whether or not to evacuate after receiving a threat.

However, Cleary said gardaí will provide professional advice based on their assessment of the information available.

He assured the public that “every such report is taken seriously” and gardaí are committed to providing a “professional, proportionate and timely response”.

If your child attends a school that received a threat, what should you tell them?

Psychologist Raquel Dalcim of DR Mental Health clinic, located in Dublin city centre, said the age of the child is an important factor to consider when telling them about the threat.

She also said it is good to consider what the child may already know about the situation.

Even though it is known that the threats were not credible, Dalcim said it is still “hard to process”.

She also said it is okay for parents to feel emotional about the situation. They should use vocabulary children will understand, which the parent will be an “expert” on.

Parents should first regulate and calm themselves before speaking with their children. This, Dalcim said, is to avoid “seeming stressed” or having a “shaky voice”.

Parents should validate their children’s emotions, which may include feeling anxious about going to school on Thursday.

She added that parents should let their children ask any questions they may have and to answer them clearly and truthfully.

It is “very important” to keep the child’s evening and morning routine. She said it would be “ideal” for the child to return to school on Thursday but added that this should be judged on a child-by-child basis.