EXPLOSIVE DEVICE DISCOVERED AT SOUTHWEST REGION HEADQUARTERS BUILDING (2001-05-25 14:59)
This morning, at Verizon's Southwest Region Headquarters building (the former Texas/New Mexico Headquarters) a contract employee discovered a suspicious object in the parking garage. Verizon Security and local law enforcement authorities were immediately notified. At the same time, employees were safely evacuated from both the building and parking garage area.
Upon investigation by the Irving Police Department Bomb Squad it was determined that the object was an explosive device. The device was safely detonated.
Early this afternoon, after authorities completed their security sweep of the building and determined the building was safe to re-enter, employees were allowed to return to the building. All operations have now returned to normal at the building.
Security personnel at all Verizon facilities in the Metroplex were alerted and instructed to take appropriate measures. Employees are reminded to ensure the security of our facilities by reporting any suspicious activity to Verizon security representatives.
I stood at the window near my 11th floor cubicle and watched as the people evacuated the building, the police taped off the parking garage, and the fire vehicles pulled up. Someone said that there had been a bomb threat over there, but it didn't look that way to me. Not based on the number of police present, the complete lack of fire trucks, and no apparent bomb squad on site. In addition, the amount of people that evacuated the building didn't appear to be enough to constitute every individual that works in that building.
