A response by local police and fire departments to the Saucon Valley School District campus early Thursday morning may have caused concern for anyone who witnessed it, but officials say it was actually for a false alarm and apparently not connected to two bomb threats the district has received in as many days.
A Lower Saucon Township police vehicle sits outside Saucon Valley Middle School in this 2016 Saucon Source file photo. The police department is responsible for helping ensure the safety of students and staff on the district’s campus. (FILE PHOTO)
District superintendent Jaime Vlasaty released a statement at 4:45 a.m. Thursday in which she said that the 3:40 a.m. response was for a “faulty fire alarm” at Saucon Valley High School.
“There is no indication that this fire alarm is connected to the recent threats or closures in the District,” she said.
In an earlier statement, released around 11 p.m. Wednesday, Vlasaty said the district had received a bomb threat around 9:45 p.m. and made the decision to close schools on Thursday because of it.
“The Lower Saucon Township Police Department was immediately contacted and after consulting with local police, we made the decision to cancel school on Thursday, March 21,” Vlasaty said. “We took this action out of an abundance of caution to protect our students and staff.”
Saucon Valley schools and the district campus were also closed Wednesday while police investigated a bomb threat made Tuesday against the district.
Lower Saucon Township Police said Wednesday evening that they had searched the campus and found no evidence to support a credible bomb threat.
Police said they would maintain a heightened presence on the campus for the remainder of the week as a result of the threat, and encouraged anyone with information about to contact them.
Details about the earlier threat have not been released, as it remains under investigation.
“We are committed to providing updates and relevant information to our school community,” Vlasaty said Wednesday, “however it is crucial to prioritize the need for discretion of the release of details during an active investigation.”
“The Saucon Valley School District continues to remain in communication with Lower Saucon Township law enforcement as this investigation is ongoing,” she added. “Updates will be provided to the school community throughout the day (Thursday) regarding district activities and events.”
The Saucon Valley campus includes the district’s elementary, middle and high schools, which serve approximately 2,000 students from Hellertown borough and Lower Saucon Township.
