by Marlon R. Molinos
Numerous bomb threats have been reported since February 2016 causing students in Guam’s public school system to miss several days of instructional time. Parents have expressed concerns that their children may have to miss school because of a potential bomb threat happening on a weekly basis. Schools such as Simon Sanchez High School and FB Leon Guerrero Middle School missed a day of instructional time while others missed hours.
According to Chris Anderson deputy superintendent of schools for the Guam Department of Education, GDOE has partnered with the Marshalls, Guam Fire Department, GPD, Port Authority, Guam Airport Authority, the Guam Customs, as well as other law enforcement agencies to tackle the problem of bomb threats.
This partnership which represents the Guam Fusion Center has adapted the Risk Assessment Matrix or RAM, a protocol utilized by the FBI. RAM is a protocol that would determine the threat level of potential bomb threats to Guam’s public school system.
According to Anderson “Prior to the adoption of the RAM, the standard protocol that schools would take involved contacting GPD and evacuating the campus.
“Given the brash of bomb threats that we’ve been receiving it was becoming a huge strain on public resources.” Anderson said “It was also reinforcing behaviors in students that we were trying to avoid.”
RAM consists of several questions to help administrators determine the level of threat a bomb scare poses to their facility.
With these questions administrators use a scoring system to help them determine whether the threat is high, medium, or low. In turn this decision can help them decide on whether class will be canceled or only be on hold for several hours.
This can help alleviate the unnecessary use of public resources.
Bomb threats are always taken seriously and are considered a terrorist act. Students who are caught making the threats face expulsion from the school system and jail time.
According to Anderson school administrators met Monday to discuss how simple and helpful the RAM was to help them determine the threat level of the bomb threats they had received in previous weeks.
Anderson said the administrators who used the RAM had positive remarks regarding its protocol.
With the RAM protocol in place, school administrators will now have an instrument to help determine how high of a threat level a potential bomb scare would be causing them to avoid missing precious instructional time in the future.
Although there were several bomb threats to several businesses in the community, the RAM protocol is only utilized within the school system at this time. Businesses are encouraged to work with the Marianas fusion Center to help determine the level of the bomb threat.
According to Anderson, parents have called saying they were happy to hear that there was another instrument that can use to determine the threats.
Julie Hernandez a UOG student stated that although she is not as informed about the RAM, she hopes it will help keep the community safe because it’s frustrating to have to change up your plans to deal with these threats.
Parents and students can approach their respective school administrators to give suggestions to improve the protocol as well as contacting the deputy superintendent’s office to give their suggestions.
GDOE takes the safety and well-being of students seriously and ask the community continue to help in maintaining the level of support.
Based on his observation Anderson feels the community has shown tremendous support toward the RAM protocol.
Lost Days
In order to make up for hours and days that were missed due to these bomb threats, the calendar committee had decided to either increase the amount of instructional days or instructional time.
No final decision has yet to be made.