From floods and wildfires to power outages and active shooters, the list of potential threats that facility managers need to prepare for is long. One threat on that list — bombings — is certainly rare, but a recent blast at Northeastern University reminds managers that emergency preparedness and resilience are essential.
A package exploded on the university’s campus in Boston this week, and the college said a staff member suffered minor injuries, according to WMUR. Authorities said another suspicious package was found near a prominent art museum, and the FBI was assisting with the investigation.
The parcel that blew up was one of two that were reported to police early in the evening. Boston's bomb squad neutralized a second package near the city's Museum of Fine Arts, which is on the outskirts of the Northeastern campus. The package detonated while a staff member opened it at Holmes Hall, according to the school. The building is home to the university's creative writing program.
Northeastern spokesperson Shannon Nargi says an unidentified university staff member suffered minor injuries to his hand in the explosion.
Police converged on the campus, and the university asked students who had gathered for an evening journalism class at the hall to evacuate the building.
Harvard University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, both on the other side of the Charles River separating Boston from Cambridge, said they were increasing patrols on their campuses as a precaution and urging students and faculty to report anything suspicious.
Dan Hounsell is senior editor of the facilities market. He has more than 25 years of experience writing about facilities maintenance, engineering and management.
