Hoax event in United States of America on Wed 28th August 2024

Tuesday, Sept. 3, was the first day back to school for Fargo South students and staff after two bomb threats interrupted classes on their first three days of school.

The district says both were likely instances of swatting and weren't credible.

Dr. Rupak Gandhi, the Fargo Public Schools superintendent, says the district is on top of the threats and making sure students have a safe environment to learn and grow.

"I think, at the end of the day, communication is always going to be critical, but safety is the first and biggest priority," Gandhi said.

The first bomb threat came on the first day of school, Wednesday, Aug. 28. Police swept the school and students were held 45 minutes past the end of the school day before police gave the all clear.

The second threat came on Friday, Aug. 30. Students were sent home early after police used a K9 to search the campus after the second bomb threat. No explosives were found.

School administration and staff held debriefing meetings after each of these threats.

"We had a debrief meeting on Thursday about what we could do differently. And then when we had a different circumstance on Friday, we were able to do that as well," Gandhi said.

Gandhi said he can't go into specifics about the adjustments the district is making, but says the goal is to balance safety with quick and detailed communication to parents.

One policy Fargo schools practice is called an Alice Protocol, meaning Alert, Lockdown, Inform, Counter and Evacuate.

"We do provide general training on safety and emergency management on how to deal with these various procedures, so there are different tools that we can utilize, whether it's putting a building in lockdown or evacuation," Gandhi said.

Since every situation is different, he said the school will adjust as needed. He said the district provides mental health and behavioral support resources for those who have fear or anxiety after such incidents.

The bomb threat calls to Fargo South High School are still under investigation. In all, there were six bomb threats reported in Fargo last week, and the Fargo Police Department said they've turned over the investigation to the FBI.