Ephrata High School receives bomb threat

Reward offered

EPHRATA — A bomb threat against Ephrata High School was called into the Multi Agency Communication Center at around 7:45 a.m. Friday.

"An unknown call came into dispatch over a cell phone," Ephrata Police Chief Joe Varick said. "We followed standard protocol."

The school was evacuated and a search team of eight swept the school for anything suspicious, he said. The eight included officers from the Ephrata Police Department and the Grant County Sheriff's Department.

Nothing was found and there were no injuries.

There have been several bomb threats in the past couple years he added. Arrests were made with the past two threats.

The search was over by 9:30 a.m. and class resumed.

The school also has a standard procedure for bomb threats.

"If we have a threat, we take it seriously, Ephrata School District Superintendent Jerry Simon said. "We've gone through our procedures a lot. We practice lock downs."

As part of their procedures, students are evacuated immediately with notification over the intercom system. The teachers are last to leave and are advised to do a quick check of their classroom for anything suspicious, Simon said. Students are not allowed to go to their lockers. Busses are lined up out side for students to sit in while the school is being checked.

The call was made from a disconnected cell phone, Varick said. That means the phone is untraceable and only good for calling 911. The person who made the call reportedly had a high-pitch-voice.

A $1,500 reward is offered by the Ephrata School District and the Ephrata Police for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person who called in the Friday bomb threat, Simon said. He urges those with information to contact the police at 509-754-2491.

The incident is still under investigation.