Above: Evenden Tower at SUNY Delhi. Photo from a photo tour of the SUNY Delhi campus on the college's website.
This story was updated at 2:25pm.
SUNY Delhi received a bomb threat that locked down the tallest building on campus this morning, according to an alert sent out by the SUNY NY Alert system at 9:34am and a press release issued by the college at noon.
In the afternoon, the school issued another alert and press release reporting that the threat was a hoax and that classes will resume as usual tomorrow.
The threat targeted Evenden Tower, the tallest building on the campus (and in Delaware County) and the hub of the college's liberal arts and sciences programs.
According to the SUNY Delhi press release, 911 dispatchers at the SUNY Delhi campus police department and at Delaware County received calls at 9:15am reporting that a bomb placed in Evenden Tower "was set to explode in 45 minutes."
All classes in Evenden Tower were cancelled for the day, and the building was evacuated and locked down as SUNY Delhi put its emergency management plan into effect. The plan included issuing emergency alerts to students, faculty, staff and parents via text message, email, voicemail, and the public address system.
First responders from the Delhi Village Police, Delaware County Sheriff's Department, Delaware County Emergency Management Office and the New York State Police secured the building's perimeter. Bomb-sniffing dogs were brought in to search the building.
The canines found "nothing unusual" in Evenden Tower, according to the second SUNY NY Alert, which declared Evenden Tower "safe and clear:"
Law enforcement officials have ruled that a bomb threat at SUNY Delhi this morning was a hoax. Evenden Tower was declared safe and clear at approximately 1:15 p.m. following a sweep of the building by the State Police canine unit. Officials report they found nothing unusual in the building. Classes in Evenden Tower remain canceled for today and will resume as scheduled on Wednesday, March 13, at 7:35 a.m.
"Nothing has happened and police are currently sweeping the building," Kim MacLeod, the director of Communications at SUNY Delhi, wrote in an email to the Watershed Post at 12:51pm.
Asked at 1pm whether any bomb had detonated at SUNY Delhi, Undersheriff Craig DuMond of the Delaware County Sheriff's Office said, "No." He added that, as of 1pm, some Delaware County Sheriff's deputies were still on the scene at SUNY Delhi assisting with the investigation.
A call to Joel Smith, the Vice President of College Relations was not returned. Calls to the Delhi Police department were referred to SUNY Delhi.
CNYNews.com was the first to report on the bomb threat this morning, using tweets from students.
The full text of the SUNY NY Alerts sent at 1:52pm:
..........This is an ACTUAL NOTIFICATION..........
Issued By: SUNY - Delhi
Issued To: SUNY-DELHI-ALL
Headline: Evenden Tower safe and clearLaw enforcement officials have ruled that a bomb threat at SUNY Delhi this morning was a hoax.
Evenden Tower was declared safe and clear at approximately 1:15 p.m. following a sweep of the building by the State Police canine unit. Officials report they found nothing unusual in the building. Classes in Evenden Tower remain canceled for today and will resume as scheduled on Wednesday, March 13, at 7:35 a.m. Classes in Evenden Tower remain canceled for today and will resume as scheduled on Wednesday, March 13, at 7:35 a.m.
The full SUNY Delhi press release issued at 2:15pm:
Evenden Tower Declared Safe and Clear
DELHI, NY (03/12/2013)(readMedia)-- Law enforcement officials have ruled that a bomb threat at SUNY Delhi this morning was a hoax.
Evenden Tower was declared safe and clear at approximately 1:15 p.m. following a sweep of the building by the State Police canine unit. Officials report they found nothing unusual in the building. Classes in Evenden Tower remain canceled for today and will resume as scheduled on Wednesday, March 13, at 7:35 a.m.
The building was evacuated this morning after SUNY Delhi University Police and Delaware County 911 received calls indicating that a bomb had been placed in Evenden Tower on the SUNY Delhi campus and was set to explode around 10 a.m. SUNY Delhi officials immediately instituted its Emergency Management Plan. Students, faculty and staff were also notified of the evacuation via NY Alert, campus email and voice mail, and the college's public address system. Email was also utilized to notify and update parents of the threat and steps that the college was taking. University Police assisted in evacuating students and faculty from Evenden Tower and conducted an initial sweep of the building.
Officials from Delhi Village Police, Delaware County Sheriff's Department, Delaware County Emergency Management Office, Delhi Fire Department and New York State Police assisted with the investigation.
The full SUNY Delhi press release sent at noon:
DELHI, NY (03/12/2013)(readMedia)-- At approximately 9:15 a.m., Tuesday, March 12, SUNY Delhi University Police and Delaware County 911 received calls indicating that a bomb had been placed in Evenden Tower on the SUNY Delhi campus and was set to explode in 45 minutes.
SUNY Delhi officials immediately instituted its Emergency Management Plan, evacuating the building and contacting local authorities. Students, faculty and staff were also notified of the evacuation via NY Alert, campus email and voice mail, and the college's public address system. Email was also utilized to notify parents of the threat and steps that the college was taking. University Police assisted in evacuating students and faculty from Evenden Tower and conducted a sweep of the building. All classes scheduled for Evenden Tower have been canceled for Tuesday.
Officials from Delhi Village Police, Delaware County Sheriff's Department, Delaware County Emergency Management Office and New York State Police have responded and secured the perimeter of Evenden Tower. The building is in lock down. The State Police Canine Unit is being brought in to inspect the building.
At this time, authorities have indicated there is no reason to believe that there is a danger to any other building on campus because the threat received was very specific and targeted.
The full text of the SUNY NY Alert sent to faculty and staff at 9:15am:
..........This is an ACTUAL NOTIFICATION..........
Issued By: SUNY - Delhi Issued To: SUNY-DELHI-ALL
Headline: Evacuate Evenden Tower immediately We have received a bomb threat for Evenden Tower. The building is to be evacuated immediately. All classes scheduled for Evenden Tower TODAY, Tuesday, March 12 are cancelled.
Evacuate Evenden Tower immediately.
