Bomb Scare!!!

[Boc11]

I was at the centre of a major bomb scare today but I am pleased with the way I handled it so thought I'd share it.

I was sorting out the post at work this morning as usual; I took the sacks off the postie and tipped them into the trolley and myself and my colleague started sorting it. At the bottom, I picked up a brown A5 Jiffy bag that had all the signs of a suspect package that were mentioned on TV last week after the bombs at the DVLA etc - just addressed to the company with no individual's name, no return address, no postmark. Fairly routine. I put it through the mail scanning machine we use for anything dodgy and it started flashing and bleeping like mad. I said "I'm not touching that!" and got straight on the phone to Security and a guy came across and felt and bent the package (not a good idea!). He said "I don't like the look of that!" and immediately evacuated the area. After they'd visited the doughnut shop, the Plod turned up and immediately evacuated the building! After an hour in which the bomb squad X-Rayed the suspect device, we were allowed back into the building. All it contained was a CD and some returned documents. I don't feel guilty about causing such a fuss as if that had exploded when I opened it or if I'd given it to somebody else without realising, the consequences could have been bad. Plus security and the police both agreed that the package was suspicious enough to warrant calling in The Professionals. As I work for the Civil Service, mailbombs are a real threat.

The head of the whole organisation came down later in the day saying how well we had handled the incident. If nothing else, it was a useful practice run for dealing with dodgy packages. You just cannot afford to take chances with things like that, pareticularly not in light of last week's bombing campaign. Trouble is, you don't know what idiots are out these days, there are some people that don' give a damn if somebody gets killed or injured so it pays to be vigilant. Keep 'em peeled guys.

[ladela]

Wow - what a day eh? It sounds like you handled it really well. I think I would have ran out of the building screaming 'ITS A BOMB - SAVVVVVVVVVVVVVE YOURSELVES'

Well done - thank god it was a false alarm

Cooor blimey Boc that sounds reet scary you done brilliant well done sir i'd have had brown panties that's for sure!

[Winnie57]

Scary stuff! Well done to keep your cool Boc11