Bomb threat at Flagler Courthouse – occupants evacuated

Historic City News has learned that, according to Paula Priester, public information officer for the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office, the first bomb threat or evacuation ever to be called in, occurred at the Flagler County courthouse during the middle of the lunch hour today. Priester said she looked into past reports but could not find any prior incident.

St Johns County provided handlers and bomb-sniffing dogs to assist with a systematic search of every room in the facility.

“Everyone who had been at the courthouse at the time has been accounted for,” Priester told local news reporters from the scene. “Flagler County bailiffs, who are also sworn deputies, conducted an initial search but came up empty-handed.”

According to broadcast accounts, the call was short; the employee who works in the Clerk of Court’s office who received it at 12:35 p.m., said the caller informed her that there was a bomb in the building, and then hung up before any questions could be asked. A telephone number has been retrieved from the caller ID system at the courthouse. The Sheriff’s Office will be investigating the lead.

Clerk of Courts Gail Wadsworth told reporters that anyone who may have been at or coming to her office this afternoon to record any papers should not worry; because, any delay related to the evacuation is excused and if the documents are filed on Tuesday, they will be considered “timely filed”.

The Government Services Building, which houses the government offices of the School Board, county administration and city of Bunnell, was not evacuated.