Just one of those life-changing days...
I went to work at Target (the department store) yesterday around 9 AM. I usually work the Jewelry department but we were short-handed and they stuck me in a department I wasn't familiar with. I had spent about an hour and a half wandering around trying to familiarize myself with the area, when I heard one of our head managers announce over the loudspeaker that she needed all of the employees (not including cashiers) to go back to our breakroom ASAP. I at first found this strange because all Target employees carry radios, and no announcement is to be made over the loudspeaker unless it has something to do with the customers. Secondly, it was a surprise because it was nowhere near the time of day to be having a meeting.
I met up with a couple other people working the department I was in and we headed back to the breakroom, only to find every manager and other employee there, along with the police. The store manager explained eventually, "Okay guys, A few minutes ago the Store Operator took a call from a woman that sounded very sad and depressed. All she said was, 'You know, I'm so sorry I have to do this, but there is a bomb in your building.'"
The Police took over then, and explained to us that we had to turn off all of our radios and equipment, because at this point anything could trigger the bomb if there was one. We were instructed to split into pairs of two and search the building front to back, looking for anything out of the ordinary. The police chief told us not to worry, because in his 20 years on the force he had never seen a bomb threat that didn't turn out to be a prank.
We split up, and began to search the store. The employees had to search the inside of the store since we knew the store better than anyone else, and the police searched the outside. We couldn't tell the customers anything, no matter how suspicious we looked, because we didn't want to start a panic, and, more than likely it was just a prank we had on our hands.
About 15 or 20 minutes into searching the store I heard on the loudspeaker the head manager come on and say, "Attention Target guests, due to an emergency situation it is now necessary that everyone evacuate the store immediately.." And almost immediately the mood in the store flew to a panic. I ran up to the front and was asked to open up a register lane to help get customers out ASAP. One of the women that came through my check-lane turned to another and said, "Lord, people are acting like there is a bomb in this store!" She didn't know how true that was.
After the customers were all out we were told to abandon our equipment and get out and across the street immediately. When I met up with the other employees across the street I was informed that one of the policemen searching outside the store had found what was described to me as "A paper bag with wires coming out of it" in a trash can right outside the front door of the store. We sat on the grass and watched as our store was roped off, more police moved in, the bomb squad, and the press drove in like bugs around a porch-light.
Six hours later, we were told by the police that the building was safe to use once again. We weren't told anything more on what they actually found, but what we WERE told was to not say a word of what we did know to the press, because it was "an ongoing investigation."
Guys, hug your loved ones a little extra-tight today for me. You just never know when you, or they might be gone for good.
I met up with a couple other people working the department I was in and we headed back to the breakroom, only to find every manager and other employee there, along with the police. The store manager explained eventually, "Okay guys, A few minutes ago the Store Operator took a call from a woman that sounded very sad and depressed. All she said was, 'You know, I'm so sorry I have to do this, but there is a bomb in your building.'"
The Police took over then, and explained to us that we had to turn off all of our radios and equipment, because at this point anything could trigger the bomb if there was one. We were instructed to split into pairs of two and search the building front to back, looking for anything out of the ordinary. The police chief told us not to worry, because in his 20 years on the force he had never seen a bomb threat that didn't turn out to be a prank.
We split up, and began to search the store. The employees had to search the inside of the store since we knew the store better than anyone else, and the police searched the outside. We couldn't tell the customers anything, no matter how suspicious we looked, because we didn't want to start a panic, and, more than likely it was just a prank we had on our hands.
About 15 or 20 minutes into searching the store I heard on the loudspeaker the head manager come on and say, "Attention Target guests, due to an emergency situation it is now necessary that everyone evacuate the store immediately.." And almost immediately the mood in the store flew to a panic. I ran up to the front and was asked to open up a register lane to help get customers out ASAP. One of the women that came through my check-lane turned to another and said, "Lord, people are acting like there is a bomb in this store!" She didn't know how true that was.
After the customers were all out we were told to abandon our equipment and get out and across the street immediately. When I met up with the other employees across the street I was informed that one of the policemen searching outside the store had found what was described to me as "A paper bag with wires coming out of it" in a trash can right outside the front door of the store. We sat on the grass and watched as our store was roped off, more police moved in, the bomb squad, and the press drove in like bugs around a porch-light.
Six hours later, we were told by the police that the building was safe to use once again. We weren't told anything more on what they actually found, but what we WERE told was to not say a word of what we did know to the press, because it was "an ongoing investigation."
Guys, hug your loved ones a little extra-tight today for me. You just never know when you, or they might be gone for good.