SAN ANTONIO – Record heat and miscommunications between airport and airlines are just two items federal and local authorities will review next week after a bomb scare sent emergency responders and bomb-sniffing dogs to the San Antonio International Airport Wednesday.
Police say the bomb threat was called into the airport from a number outside the local area code.
And when police dogs indicated three cars in the airport’s short term parking might contain explosives, the evacuation order was made.
“That elevated it to the next level. It just wasn’t a prank call. And I think maybe the specificity was in the phone call as well,” said Rich Johnson, spokesperson for the airport.
Johnson said authorities routinely train for airport disasters, with standard protocols to follow.
Passengers may have been removed safely from bomb blast areas, but with the temperatures soaring above 100-degrees, authorities admit the public’s health was still in jeopardy.
“Temperature and the repercussions of going outside: that is always something to look at. I think it’s more of that customer service aspect that we’re going to look at. And then obviously the big main things that you look at: communication amongst agencies,” said Johnson.
Despite airport tweets and local news coverage, Johnson says some airlines remained confused about the situation.
Officials say all of the players in Wednesday’s drama will meet next week--from the FAA on down the ladder. But there is one player that won’t be there: the suspect caller.
The FBI said they are "actively pursuing information leading to the suspect who inconvenienced a whole city.”
