Classes Resume at Main Campus After Bomb Threat
Published 10.24.2000
Classes resumed as scheduled Tuesday, October 24, at Pennsylvania College of Technology's main campus in Williamsport.
An anonymous male caller phoned in a bomb threat to the College switchboard at 10:20 a.m. Monday. All classes were canceled, and students, faculty and staff were directed to evacuate the main campus. After an extensive search was conducted by Campus Police and volunteer staff from the College's General Services department, residence halls, dining facilities and the Bush Campus Center were reopened, though classes remained canceled.
Classes were not interrupted at the College's satellite campuses: the Schneebeli Earth Science Center near Allenwood, the Lumley Aviation Center at the Williamsport Regional Airport in Montoursville, the Advanced Automotive Technology Center on Wahoo Drive and the North Campus near Wellsboro.
During the search of the buildings, residence-hall students and youngsters from the Children's Learning Center were transported by City Bus to the Earth Science Center. Those wishing to return to campus were brought back by early afternoon. Telephone calls to the College switchboard were rerouted to the Earth Science Center in the interim.
Penn College President Dr. Davie Jane Gilmour said the evacuation was quick, orderly and proceeded according to plan.
"We have very detailed crisis procedures, and we followed them," Dr. Gilmour said of the College's response." We take this very seriously. With thousands of people on campus, including children in the Children's Learning Center, students in classrooms and residence halls, and faculty and staff, we can't afford to do otherwise."
Dr. Gilmour said the person responsible for the threat will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. "If a student is determined to be the one responsible for the threat, in addition to criminal charges, he or she faces expulsion from the College," she said.