Mariano Marcos
State University

CHED holds bomb threat simulation drill at MMSU

By Jedd Bryant Boado

The Commission on Higher Education (CHED), in coordination with the Office of Civil Defense (OCD) and the PNP Explosive Ordnance Disposal and Canine Group (PNP-EOD/K9), conducted a bomb threat simulation exercise on February 4 at the Mariano Marcos State University (MMSU) University Library

Attended by select State Universities and Colleges (SUCs) nationwide, as well as MMSU students and staff, the training aims to equip security management units to respond to emergencies such as bomb threats. This includes providing evacuation plans and procedures, assessing the university's K-9 units' capability to detect planted explosive devices on school premises, improving rescue efforts, and teaching effective debriefing strategies. 

During the culminating activity, MMSU Security Monitoring Services (SMS) Director Jan Francis Javier stressed that the exercise was a necessary step in addressing common pitfalls encountered by SUCs during such incidents, particularly in improving their response time and overall effectiveness.

Meanwhile, Retired Colonel Nicanor Salvador, Program Coordinator of the Crisis Management Program, expressed hope that the activity would pave the way for the development of a standardized manual to help SUCs prevent or mitigate similar exigencies.

"I told you that we are expecting the production of a Crisis Management, Security and Safety Manual to be given to your universities for you to practice and perfect its application during such instances," Salvador said.

The bomb threat simulation exercise is part of the fourth cohort of the Crisis/Incident Management Training Program conducted by CHED, in response to the growing incidences of bomb threats in SUCs. The program was also initiated to promote safer and more adaptable SUCs in emergencies.