For the fourth time in recent months, a bomb threat at the Weidmann Electrical Technology plant on Memorial Drive in St. Johnsbury turned out to be a false alarm, Vermont State Police said.
An employee discovered a written threat on a bathroom wall and reported it at 10:20 a.m. Friday, June 19, according to Francis Fisher, Weidmann's Head of Group Marketing & Communications. The facility was evacuated and Vermont State Police responded, along with a fire truck and crew from St. Johnsbury Fire Department and CALEX Ambulance.
Multiple troopers searched the buildings and found no cause for alarm. Firefighters and ambulance crew were released after about two hours. During that time, an alarm sounded at the St. Johnsbury Country Club about a mile north of Weidmann. Fire crews were split, with one crew responding to the club, where no emergency was found.
Trooper Adam Aremburg said the threat was the fourth such incident at Weidmann. “State police is investigating whether all the incidents are related,” he noted in his report.
Under Vermont law, a conviction for false public alarms, knowingly reporting a bombing or catastrophe, carries a maximum penalty of two years in jail and a $5,000 fine.
Workers returned to the Fab North building after an “all clear” from police at 11:45 a.m., and the Board Machine facility was accessible an hour later.
Trooper Aremburg encourages anyone with information about the threats to call the St. Johnsbury Barracks at 802-748-3111 or leave an anonymous tip online at the Vermont State Police website.
NEK will be looking into whether the four threats are connected and will follow up on any public records related to the investigations.
Originally reported by The Caledonian Record.
Photo: Alex Simpson via Unsplash. Photo is illustrative and not from the scene.
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