What is the proper response from the employee answering the telephone when a threatening call such as a bomb threat is made to an operation?

What is the proper response from the employee answering the telephone when a threatening call such as a bomb threat is made to an operation?

• A. Ask if the manager can take the call; if not, listen very carefully and remember details
• B. Hang up immediately
• C. Keep the caller on the phone for as long as possible so that the call can be traced
• D. Turn the call around into a joke

Answer: (A)

When a threatening call comes in, safety and rapid, proper handling rely on escalation and information gathering. The best approach is to involve a person in authority who can implement the organization’s bomb-threat procedures, and if that person isn’t immediately available, listen carefully and record details. This means noting what the caller says, the location mentioned, any time given, voice characteristics, background noises, exact wording, and the approximate length of the call. These details are critical for responders and for decisions about evacuation or others safety actions, and they should be relayed to the supervisor and emergency services as directed by policy. Keeping the caller on the line just to trace the call or turning the situation into a joke undermines safety and can delay the response. Hanging up prematurely prevents gathering the information that could guide a quick, effective response.

When a threatening call comes in, safety and rapid, proper handling rely on escalation and information gathering. The best approach is to involve a person in authority who can implement the organization’s bomb-threat procedures, and if that person isn’t immediately available, listen carefully and record details. This means noting what the caller says, the location mentioned, any time given, voice characteristics, background noises, exact wording, and the approximate length of the call. These details are critical for responders and for decisions about evacuation or others safety actions, and they should be relayed to the supervisor and emergency services as directed by policy. Keeping the caller on the line just to trace the call or turning the situation into a joke undermines safety and can delay the response. Hanging up prematurely prevents gathering the information that could guide a quick, effective response.