Friday, December 9
4:45 pm: Emergency crews determined that there were two backpacks, but that neither contained anything threatening. They also located fireworks next to one of the backpacks, which they suspect had emitted the smoke. An all-clear CruzAlert message is being distributed to the campus, and county Sheriff's personnel are preparing to leave the scene and reopen it to the public. Thank you for your patience.
3:45 pm: Police and fire are on scene, and members of the county's Explosive Ordnance Disposal team (aka, Bomb Squad) have arrived on the scene to begin their assessment. A backpack, which appeared to be emitting smoke, was observed unattended on a Porter Circle curb — and reported to Porter College staff at approximately 2 p.m. People should continue to avoid that area until further notice. This page, accessible via the campus home page, will be updated as more is known. Please check back.
3:15 pm: Police and fire are on scene. As a precaution, they have requested assistance from county Sheriff's Department. People should continue to avoid that area until further notice. About 60 people have been evacuated from the Porter College complex. Most of them are staff; a few are students who have not left for the winter break. This page, accessible via the campus home page, will be updated as more is known. Please check back.
2:20 pm: Campus emergency personnel are responding to a report of a suspicious backpack in the Porter circle near the entrance to the college. People are advised to avoid that area until further notice. This page, accessible via the campus home page, will be updated as more is known.
