Report: Ohio 2nd in Nation in School Bomb Threat Incidents

The state of Ohio is second in the nation when it comes to the number of school bomb threats Ohio schools receive, says a report from the Educator's School Safety Network.

Ohio schools have had a total of 59 bomb threats called in between August 2015 and January 2016--second only to Massachusetts, which had 75. New Jersey and Florida followed closely behind at 50 and 49, respectively. Since 2011, Ohio has remained one of the top two states for threats along with California.

Ohio Homeland Security Public Information Officer Dustyn Fox said that the state of Ohio has a Threat Assessment and Prevention Unit, which heads up a threat reporting hotline that allows Ohio residents and students to anonymously report tips about school threats including bomb threats.

"The TAP Unit is very aware of the high number of bomb threats in Ohio and is actively working with officials to keep them informed of Ohio's bomb threat posture," he told Patch.

Fox said public safety officials remain committed to helping Ohio's schools remain safe.

"The TAP Unit will work with local schools and law enforcement to provide analytical support as needed to keep local, state, and federal law enforcement, as well as school administrative officials and the Ohio Department of Education Center for P-20 Safety and Security, aware of the trending threats that they need to be aware of."

Nearly six in ten school bomb threats in Ohio and across the country occur in high schools. 21% occur in colleges, universities, or other institutions of higher learning. Only 3% of bomb threats occur in middle schools, but surprisingly, 18% occur in elementary schools.

According to the report, threats made to secondary and post-secondary school settings usually come from a student seeking disruption or notoriety. However, threats made to elementary schools are often made by an outside person for reasons which are less clear and "potentially much more deadly."

The Educator's School Safety Network recommends that all school building administrators have specific skills that are necessary to keep children safe in the event of a credible threat, including having a "functional understanding of explosive devices, sheltering distances, and destructive capabilities of explosive devices." It also recommends that administrators have protocols in place to prevent future bomb threats and reduce copycat incidents.