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March 3, 2010

Bomb threat evacuates CHS

No device found upon further search and investigation

Toni Hopper

COMANCHE — Just after 2 p.m. Wednesday, Comanche High School was evacuated based on orders from the Comanche Police Department, that a bomb threat had been phoned in, said Comanche Public Schools Superintendent Terry Davidson.

“The threat is specific to the high school,” he said. Davidson said that the local police department notified them that a call was received that bombs would be set off at the end of the school day.

Evacuation of the high school building took place immediately. Davidson said the school doesn’t have an intercomm system, so each class had to be notified. The students and faculty were assembled in the high school gymnasium, but the orders by law enforcement were followed to have everyone move out of the physical buildings and to a nearby outdoor location on campus.

Officers from Oklahoma Highway Patrol, Stephens County Sheriff’s Office and Comanche Police Department were at the scene and a bomb crew was on its way, he said.

Students had to leave the building, but could not take their bags or backpacks with them. Buses would run as scheduled.

Students who drove would have to be picked up by a parent, and their vehicles would have to remain at the campus until the building inspection was complete, he said. Teachers remained after school hours to help.

“Our purpose is to have school and get back to a normal routine as quick as possible, in the morning. We will be on alert, and get back to a regular schedule.”

Davidson expects an investigation will take place into the phone call and who might have placed it.

“It’s been at least two years since we’ve had anything. We never found anything (on that). We have an emergency evacuation plan and we follow those procedures,” Davidson said.

He said search crews finished at about 3:45 p.m. and did not discover anything in the school or among students or faculty vehicles in the parking lot. Davidson said they didn’t expect to find anything.

“We have to treat all of those situations as if they really were there,” Davidson said.

He thanked the local law enforcements that were on site to help with the situation and gave praise to the students and faculty for fully cooperating.

“I’m impressed with everyone who handled this situation so well,” Davidson said. “Hopefully we won’t have anymore situations like that.”



— Kevin Kerr contributed information for this story.

— Toni Hopper is a reporter for The Duncan Banner. She can be reached at 580-255-5354, Ext. 132 or by e-mail at: toni.hopper@duncanbanner.com.

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