The decision to evacuate and reenter a location during a bomb threat prior to an actual or suspected bomb being found shall always be made by the victim or management in charge of the location. Field personnel shall not order an evacuation unless a real or suspected bomb is found. If an evacuation is necessary, field personnel shall assist in the evacuation procedure. Evacuation of at least 300 feet surrounding a suspected bomb or explosive device is recommended. Floors immediately above and below the found device in a multistory structure should also be evacuated.
The explosives detection dog of the Arson/Explosives Detail will be dispatched only to locations of found devices (suspected and/or real), and to scenes of explosions to search for secondary unexploded bombs. Under certain circumstances, the explosives detection dog team may be used in searches prior to a device being found, e.g., VIP sweeps and bomb threats to airliners, trains, and buses.
Due to the fatigue factor, there are definite limitations in the size and complexity of an area to be searched by the dog.