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PHOTOS BY RUDY THOMAS

in
the

West Bloomfield police arrived quickly when a bomb threat was called in to the JCC.

Brian Siegel, JCC CEO, talks to the media.

Bomb Threat

Local organizations
praised for handling
situation at JCC.

RONELLE GRIER CONTRIBUTING WRITER

L

ocal public safety officers
as well as security and
administrative staff from
the Jewish Community Center
and other organizations received
kudos for their efficient handling
of the telephone bomb threat
received the morning of Jan. 18
at the West Bloomfield JCC.
While the threat turned out
to be bogus, several hundred
people, including preschoolers
and high school students, were
evacuated while police, bomb
squad technicians and other
safety officials conducted a thor-
ough inspection of the JCC build-
ing and surrounding premises,
including the parking lots. After
the building was declared safe, it
re-opened around 2 p.m.
The telephone threat was
part of a rash of similar threats
received by approximately 30
Jewish institutions in at least 17
states, plus one in Buenos Aires,
Argentina, over the past few
weeks. No explosives have been
found in any of the locations that
received the threatening calls.
The threat to the West
Bloomfield JCC was made
around 11:15 a.m. by a female
caller who said a bomb was set
to go off in a crowded area. No
other details were given; how-
ever, JCC CEO Brian Siegel said
the call was consistent with the
recent bomb threats received by
other Jewish centers across the
country, although some of those
calls were recorded messages
rather than live callers.
“Our first priority is always the
safety of our invitees, our chil-

26

January 26 • 2017

of the FJA and JCC staff
COMMUNITY
members, who kept stu-
SECURITY
dents from becoming
According to Heidi
agitated during the evacu-
Budaj, regional direc-
ation process.
tor of the Michigan
“The worst part
Region of the Anti-
was waiting out-
Defamation League
side in the cold,”
(ADL), the ADL
said Eric Lipsky of Heidi Budaj
and the Michigan
West Bloomfield.
Department of Civil
Dylan Backalar
Rights have experi-
from Farmington Hills
JCC EVACUATION
enced a significant rise in the
said the actions of the
Emergency protocol
number of bias complaints
administration made
went into effect imme-
from the public since the Nov.
him
proud
to
be
a
stu-
diately, which included
8 election, with an increase
Eric Lipsky
dent at FJA. The praise
notifying police and fire
in incidents at public places
culminated during the
department emergency
such as stores and malls, in the
school Town Hall meeting on
responders and beginning an
workplace and in schools.
orderly, systematic evacuation of Friday morning, when students
While the ADL has a system
gave a standing ovation to Greg
the building.
in place to notify synagogues
Angelosanto, FJA’s director of
The approximately 200 stu-
and Jewish institutions about
security, for his actions during
dents who attend the Frankel
known security threats, Budaj
the bomb hoax.
Jewish Academy high school,
says the ADL encourages each
“It’s a shame these terrorist
located within the JCC, were
organization to create its own
organizations are making these
sent to the soccer field behind
security plan, assess risk on a
threats,” said Jason Teper, a
the building while bomb squad
regular basis and update secu-
student from Farmington Hills.
personnel and canine teams
rity protocol as needed.
“They do this to make us scared,
inspected the facility. The stu-
“It is important to be proac-
but we’re not scared.”
dents were then taken into the
tive in preparing for potential
Chief Michael Patton of
inline hockey center on the west
security scenarios,” Budaj said.
the West Bloomfield Police
side of the building while the
“Make safety and security part
Department said his staff collab- of the culture of every institu-
canine teams searched cars in
orated with bomb squad person- tion, involving staff, leadership
the parking lot. Once the lots
nel and canine units from other
were cleared for safety, the stu-
and constituents.”
municipalities, including
dents were dismissed.
Scott Kaufman,
Southfield, to ensure the
Although the announcement
CEO of the Jewish
investigation was swift and
instructing the students to evac-
Federation of
uate the building did not include efficient. Police officers
Metropolitan
from his department pro-
a reason, the students quickly
Detroit, commends
vided a security presence at
learned about the bomb threat
the Federation
the JCC for the remainder
via their cell phones.
Community-Wide
of the day.
Once they were dismissed,
Security team,
“The threat is probably
several FJA students spoke to
along with the staff
low, but it’s never zero,”
the JN in the JCC parking lot.
members at the JCC,
Scott Kaufman
Most praised the calm demeanor Patton said.
FJA and the West

dren, our members and guests,
and our staff,” said Siegel, who
has been in touch with the other
institutions that received similar
threats to discuss protocol and
best practices. “With the
help of [West Bloomfield
Police] Chief Patton, we
are very proud of how
we handled this.”

jn

Bloomfield Police Department
for their prompt and profes-
sional response.
“This was the type of inci-
dent that we diligently prepare
for but hope will never happen.
Fortunately, we were able to
handle the situation in a safe,
orderly and thoughtful man-
ner,” said Kaufman, explaining
that Detroit was one of the first
Jewish communities to develop
a Federation Community-Wide
Security program in 2007. “This
will continue to be a priority
for us as it is central to our mis-
sion of taking care of the Jewish
community.”
David Kurzmann, execu-
tive director of the Jewish
Community Relations Council/
American Jewish Committee,
said, “Overall, we were angry
and upset that we had to deal
with this; but the community
handled it quite well.”
While Jewish organizations
and law enforcement agen-
cies throughout the country,
including the FBI, are investi-
gating the threatening calls, the
person(s) and motive behind
the threats have not been
determined.
“For the Jewish commu-
nity, security is and has always
been a 24/7 concern,” Budaj
said. “We know we always have
to be vigilant, so we work with
the community on a regular
basis to reassess its security
preparedness. What can you do
to help? If you see something,
say something!” •