Bomb scare at SKCTC proves to be false alarm

Published 11:26 am Tuesday, May 16, 2023

NEWS REPORT

Just after 10 a.m. on May 11, the Southeast Kentucky Community and Technical College crisis management team notified the police department and issued a SNAP message alerting students and employees to evacuate the Harlan Campus in response to a bomb threat. Because the threat did not specify a campus, law enforcement advised the team to evacuate all campuses and close for the remainder of the day.

Kentucky State Police responded with its canine unit and swept all buildings on each of Southeast’s campuses in Harlan, Cumberland, Whitesburg, Middlesboro, Pineville, and Barbourville.  KSP gave the “all clear” at 6:45 p.m. and confirmed that they did not find any explosives.

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“As always, we put the safety of our employees and students first, so we followed the advice of law enforcement and closed our campuses,” said Dr. Vic Adams, SKCTC president. “I appreciate the quick response from law enforcement and the swift actions of our crisis team. The Kentucky State Police spent long hours meticulously sweeping our facilities, and we are grateful for their tireless efforts.”

SKCTC returned to normal hours of operation on May 12.