Bomb scare in Delhi schools

On Sunday, over 40 private schools in Delhi, including Delhi Public School Vasant Kunj, Delhi Public School RK Puram, GD Goenka Paschim Vihar, Doon Public School Paschim Vihar and Brilliant’s Convent School Pritampura, received bomb threats via email. According to reports, calls from GD Goenka and DPS RK Puram were made at 6:15 am and 7:06 am respectively. A team from Delhi Fire Brigade, along with the bomb squad, dog squad, DPF personnel and police, quickly reached the spot.
This is not the first time schools in the nation’s capital have faced bomb threats. In November, a private school in Rohini received a bomb threat just a day after a low-intensity explosion occurred near Prashant Vihar. On October 22, several schools run by the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) across India received false bomb threats, causing panic. In May, more than 60 schools in Delhi NCR were evacuated after receiving similar threats, heightening concerns. The increasing frequency of these hoaxes is not only a source of anxiety for students and parents, but it is also putting a strain on the country’s security forces.

5 Effective Ways Schools Can Prepare Students for Bomb Threat Situations

With bomb threats on the rise, schools must prioritize acquiring the skills and knowledge needed to deal with such emergencies. Here are five proactive steps to ensure students are prepared, both physically and emotionally, to stay safe during crises.
Build strong links with emergency services: To ensure a rapid and effective response to an emergency, schools must establish strong partnerships with local emergency services: police, fire and medical teams. Regular communication and collaborative planning are essential to staying prepared. Schools should also conduct simulated exercises with emergency professionals to guide students and staff through realistic threat scenarios, improving their ability to act quickly and effectively in the face of a bomb threat.
Mastering evacuation drills: A school’s safety plan should be a work in progress, regularly updated in collaboration with emergency teams. Drills are essential, from fire evacuations to simulated bomb threats. These exercises help students and staff practice key evacuation steps: finding exits, moving to safe areas, and following safety protocols. Working with emergency services allows schools to refine these plans, ensuring that everyone knows exactly what to do in the event of a disaster.
Crisis management training for students and staff: Crisis management workshops should be part of a school’s strategy for preparing for bomb threats. By partnering with experts, schools can train staff and students to stay calm, make critical decisions, and manage stress in an emergency. With guidance from first aiders, students will learn to identify dangers and take smart action, building their confidence and ability to stay calm when seconds count.
Self-defense and personal safety skills: Training students in self-defense is more than just a safety measure: it’s an empowering tool. Schools should teach students how to protect themselves and how to respond in stressful situations. By emphasizing the importance of remaining calm, reporting suspicious activity, and following instructions from authorities, schools can ensure that students are always alert and ready to act quickly in an emergency.
Promote mental resilience and emotional support: In addition to physical preparedness, emotional well-being plays a crucial role in handling bomb threats. Schools should provide mental health support and resilience-building programs to help students manage stress and anxiety. Through counseling resources and emotional coping strategies, students will not only be better equipped to deal with potential threats, but will also develop the mental strength needed to stay strong during such difficult times.