Swatting or Hoax phone threats targeting K-12 schools have been on the rise in recent weeks. These threats involve a caller contacting high schools or police dispatch centers across multiple states, falsely claiming there is an active shooter at the school. These incidents are distinct from social media activity widespread in December 2021, which also led to additional threats to schools. The FBI currently believes that the individual responsible for these calls is the same person who previously called colleges and universities, falsely claiming to have planted a bomb in a classroom.
What is a Swatting Call or Hoax call?
A swatting call is a type of hoax call where someone falsely reports a serious crime, such as a shooting or hostage situation, to emergency services. The goal is to provoke a large and immediate response from law enforcement and the school potentially causing panic and fear.
Similarly, a hoax call involves making false claims to emergency services, but it may not always aim to trigger a SWAT response. These calls can cause panic, waste resources and could lead to harmful situations.
The recent swatting or hoax calls may exhibit some of the following indicators, though these can also appear in legitimate calls. Despite the change in the type of threat, the following facts remain consistent:
- The swatting caller is a male.
- The Caller has an accent similar to middle eastern or African.
- The caller breathes heavily and acts excited.
- The person states that he is at the school.
- The call is difficult to track or ID the number.
- When the caller is asked for further information he hangs up.
What can schools do to prepare for these swatting calls?
- Stay in communication with 9-1-1 dispatch centers and keep them updated on trends. Encourage them to alert schools and first responders if they detect any anomalies, such as a single incoming call reporting an active shooter event.
- Begin with preparing a plan you can implement as soon as you receive a call.
- We all must treat them as legitimate until we learn otherwise.
- Determine your first response and communicate that to your people whether it be a Hold or an Evacuation. Communication tools such as the Locknow Safety App are very effective in these threatening situations making communication fast and simple.
- How will you communicate with law enforcement and your school staff? Relaying information will be critical. One option is to delegate one staff member to be the communication point of receiving and distributing.
- Make sure all methods of communication are at your disposal, Locknow App, radios and intercom etc.
- We recommend documenting a written response for a several scenarios you may face for quick distribution. You can use this dialogue as is or briefly edit it to be recorded, texted, emailed or placed on social media. (see an example below)
- Consider your options in all emergency response protocol decisions. What are the consequences of each option? Evacuate? Hold? Secure? Any of these options may be best for your swatting call situation. The safest, least disruptive option is the desired outcome. As we deal with these schools will undoubtedly improve the response.
- Another consideration is to notify your parents and staff of these incidents that are happening throughout the country. Making them aware of what is happening may help to prevent an undesired response.
Feel free to repurpose the statement below to meet the needs of your district in communicating with your parents about the recent calls:
In recent weeks, schools across the country have received an increasing number of hoax or swatting reports of active shooter incidents. We want to assure our parents and community that we are aware of these incidents and take all threats seriously until proven otherwise. If we receive such a threat, our plans include the notifying our parents as soon as it is safe to do so. We will use our text messaging and/or email service to quickly send information directly to you. We will also post updates/information on the school facebook page.
The _______________________________ School District will remain cautious regardless of hoax threats and will make decisions based on what is safe for our school and staff. We all play a role in school safety, anyone with concerning information about a student or situation should report it to the school immediately. (or law enforcement if outside of school hours)
First steps of your response:
- Make a decision on what you feel is safest for your kids and staff, monitor the situation and change course when you deem necessary.
- Document report or call details and report to law enforcement when it is safe to do so.
- Some states have certain jurisdictions who handle this type of information or reports. Seek out your state’s organization for reporting online threats and notify them.
Preparing for all specific situations is virtually impossible. Our suggestions are there to assist you. Your preparation and response should be created with teamwork between your school and law enforcement. Giving forethought to your process, communication and response to a swatting event will assist you in focusing on the important decisions you will make during the event.