Following evacuation of the building due to a bomb threat this morning, October 26, Branford Police issued an all clear at approximately 12:45 p.m.

A joint press release issued by Branford Police and Branford Public Schools (BPS) stated police used the assistance of the Connecticut State Police Bomb Squad to search the emptied school building at 185 East Main Street and determined it "safe to re-open," according to Police Chief Kevin Halloran.

"There was an extremely well run coordinated effort with the School Superintendents office to ensure the safe evacuation of all students and staff," said Halloran.

The incident began shortly before 9 a.m., when police received information from the office of Superintendent of Schools Hamlet Hernandez that message was left on a BHS office phone describing that "... an explosive device may be placed within the school facility,"  according to the press release.

In related news, a similar bomb threat was also made at East Haven High School on the morning of Oct. 26.

Hernandez used BPS emergency notification systems to alert parents to the safe evacuation of students, who were taken from the building by bus to Walsh Intermediate School, then dismissed early and sent home by bus. Students and staff who left items behind at the school, including vehicles, were allowed to retrieve them beginning at 1 p.m. The building was closed for the rest of the day. School was set to resume at the normal time on Friday, Oct. 27.  In the last of three messages sent to parents to update them throughout the morning, Hernandez noted the evacuation and coordinated effort with police and state police followed the district's "crisis action plan."

"It was a very carefully coordinated response to an unforeseen event," Hernandez stated in the joint press release. "We were able to work closely with our emergency response partners to swiftly and safely mitigate this incident."

An investigation to determine the caller's identity will be conducted by the Branford Police Detective Division, according to Branford Police.