Monday's bomb threat leads to evacuation

EPHRATA — Monday morning was not a typical one at Ephrata High School as a bomb threat was called in shortly after 8 a.m.

However, it is an incident which has occurred three times this school year, according to superintendent Jerry Simon.

According to the Ephrata Police Department, an unknown male called the high school office and stated "there is a bomb in the school."

Ephrata police, fire and public works officials responded to secure the area. The school was evacuated and searched by a K-9 bomb dog that did not find anything suspicious in the building.

Students returned to school shortly before 11 a.m. The incident is under investigation.

Simon said the high school is going to wait a day or two to see if a phone number to the caller can be located. If a number is not identified, a reward will be offered for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the suspect(s).

This type of incident requires the police and fire department to mobilize and "it's a communitywide disruption when that happens," Simon said.

As to why these type of incidents continue to occur, Simon could not say for sure, adding that two individuals from previous bomb threats earlier in the school year have been apprehended and gone through the legal system.

Anyone with information regarding the incident is asked to report it to the EPD at (509) 754-2491 or the Multi Agency Communications Center at (509) 762-1160.