ABSTRACT
Dealing with suspicious packages or actual explosive devices in a defense plan will limit options to the civilian community, but the procedures developed should be much more concrete and speci–c. It makes no diœerence, in fact, whether a suspicious package turns out to be an ineœective but dangerous practical joke, an innocent misplaced personal item, or a live device, since once a package-be it a box, briefcase, backpack, pocketbook, or other kind of container-is deemed suspicious, it should be treated as though it were an explosive device. At this point, public safety o›cials assume responsibility and trained bomb technicians take over.
