Bomb scare at Snoqualmie Middle School prompts evacuation
October 28, 2009
By Laura Geggel
A bomb scare set off an evacuation at Snoqualmie Middle School Oct. 21.
At noon, an SMS student found a note in a hallway that said a bomb was set to go off at 12:20 p.m. that day. The student reported the note to authorities, who called police and evacuated the building before 12:20 p.m.
No bomb went off and no one was harmed, said Snoqualmie Valley School District spokeswoman Carolyn Malcolm.
As of 3 p.m., police were preparing to go through the school with bomb sniffing dogs, Malcolm said.
After the evacuation, school staff escorted SMS students down the street to the Mount Si High School gymnasium. Unless they had a parent pick them up early, students were released at the usual dismissal time of 2:12 p.m. All SMS after-school activities were canceled.
“If they were bus riders they stayed in the gym until school was dismissed,” Malcolm said.
The school district used its District E-news service to notify parents about the evacuation. Students were also allowed to use their cell phones to call their parents.
“This was actually good practice for us,” Malcolm said.
The district attempted to use its emergency phone service, but was unable to. Malcolm said the phone service should be up and running by Oct. 22.
In case of another emergency, parents should make sure their contact information, including e-mail address, cell number and home phone number, is up to date with the district.
This is the third bomb threat Snoqualmie Valley schools have had within the last two years. Mount Si High School was evacuated June 16, 2008, after school officials thought a bomb had been sent to a student at the school. A bomb technician later confirmed the “bomb” was really a homemade telephone.
SMS had another bomb threat Mar. 4, 2008, after a student found a note stating, “A bomb will explode at 2 p.m.,” in the girl’s bathroom written on the Tampax machine.
To report tips or information about the bomb scare, call Snoqualmie Valley Police at 888-3333.
Laura Geggel: 392-6434 ext. 221 or lgeggel@snovalleystar.com.
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