Published Monday, September 18, 2000
BROOKFIELD
Threat, but no bomb, at school
A bomb threat left on an answering machine at the Brookfield Middle School kept students out of class for over an hour this morning, but yielded no bomb.According to middle school Principal Ron Garrett, the message was heard before 7 a.m. this morning on the machine and local police and fire officials were notified by 7:10 a.m.
Students were lined up in front of the track field behind the school as they were dropped off by buses and parents, then were sent to the high school auditorium.
Two policemen and two firefighters, along with Police Chief Dan Faustino and Fire Chief Keith Barrett, did a bomb sweep inside and outside the school.
"We look through book bags, desks, filing cabinets, everything and anything that looks suspicious," said policeman Jay First, who was part of the search.
School officials were on hand to help the police in case they found anything unusual in the school.
According to police, this is the first bomb scare in the school district this year; there had been about five last year.
"We’re taking all the necessary precautions that we need to," Garrett said. "It will be a normal school day once we get the all-clear."