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IKEA evacuated; shoppers told to get in cars and drive away
By adamg on Sat, 08/01/2015 - 6:55pm
Mark Logan reports the Stoughton IKEA was ordered evacuated around 6 p.m.
"Security issue" We've been instructed to get on our cars and leave.
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Comments
Bomb Threat?
Wondering if it was a bomb threat called in.
My parents were once at the mall when the same thing happened. All of a sudden someone got on the intercom an announced, "The mall is closing, please leave immediately." They never found out what happened.
crisis: ran out of swedish meatballs...
Store employee arrested for IKEA bomb threat
http://patch.com/massachusetts/stoughton/police-say-store-employee-calle...
I was there
I was there and sadly had to abandon my carefullt curated cart. They ushered us out the nearest exit, which, in my case, lead us to the upper deck of the garage. Every employee I asked said the same thing - technical issue - but even they had to exit the bulding (quite the mass exodus). Took almost an hour to get out of the lot and there were emergency vehicles at the entrance and then blocking incoming traffic at the rotary.
IKEA Evacuation
The evacuation process was ludicrous. Not knowing that it was a gas leak, I sat in my car less than 10 feet from the building for 45 minutes or more waiting to drive out. (In retrospect, I now know that if the gas had exploded, we would have gone up with the building...)
No police were anywhere. No IKEA staff were anywhere - I later saw them gathered a safe distance from the building.
After the long wait to leave, I followed traffic creeping along towards the exit and came upon five police officers standing around near the main entrance. I pulled over that told them that assistance for traffic control was needed on the upper level garage. They told me 2,000 cars had to leave, so it was slow - I suggested we double up the lanes and twice as many people could get out in the same amount of time. In response, two of them - Officers Faria and Holmes of the Stoughton Police Department - were rude, condescending, and acted as though they just really didn't care.
What a disgrace - for Ikea and even more for the Stoughton Police Department.
It was a bomb threat. Not a
It was a bomb threat. Not a gas leak. There is also only one way out. It was not designed for a Saturday evening crowd to all leave at the same time.
If
It was a bomb threat then the police broke every known protocol for evacuating people quickly as well as basic common sense by allowing people to return to their cars and drive out. If a terrorist was doing this as a dry run then they now know they could kill far more people by planting bombs in the garage and/or having gunmen go from car to car as they're stuck waiting to exit and gunning people down.
You do realize that the
You do realize that the garage is the support for the rest of the building? It doesn't take a "dry run" to know that putting any sort of explosive in that garage will result in more damage.
Especially
since that was already done during the first World Trade Center bombing in 1993. It's not like it's a new idea.
My point was
That if it was a bomb threat people should've evacuated on foot a safe distance from the building until there was an all clear.
No one was instructed to get
No one was instructed to get in their car and leave.
Instructions?
Was anyone instructed to stay clear of the building and the garage?
Yes actually. We had to
Yes actually. We had to continually yell at customers to get off the upper deck. And many customers followed us outside as you can see in the photo above. Which was taken by one of the many people who were instructed several times to get off the building.
Actually we were. It was
Actually we were. It was definitely odd
I don't believe it wS a gas
I don't believe it wS a gas leak...the gas leak was in 2014.
Also as staff, we are trained
Also as staff, we are trained to direct customers out of the store and then immediately report to the designated meeting point for role call. No different from the fire safety trainings given to small children. I'm unclear as to why you expected staff to just be hanging around outside.
Staff are people too
Staff are people too
And underpaid probably. Don't expect them to save you. Some police are more like keystone cops- so when in doubt don't be a sheep. Bah bah bah.
#PotentialBombVictimsLivesDon
#PotentialBombVictimsLivesDontMatter
I was there too, the
I was there too, the employees did great getting everyone out. It was a bomb threat...also if you doubled up on the lanes the emergency vehicles wouldn't be able to get in to the site..which from what I can tell is a challenge with traffic to begin with. The last thing I'd do is give my opinion to a cop and tell him/her how to do their job.
Ignorance
Your whole comment is inaccurate and ignorant. It was not a gas leak. 1 hour to get cars out yes. Police rude? Pretend you're a cop. You know what's going on and worried about everyone. Including people you know. People are stopping to ask critical and important questions such as, "what time can I come back?" What's going on? You said no cops were there but named 2. You suggested double up the lanes? Wow, I cannot believe the cops never though of that. Great thinking on your part. I'll email the chief. Did you not see 4 SPD, Avon police, state police, quincy police? Did you not see the 4 dogs searching the building? Security was every where. I'm sure ikea will consult you next time as far as security procedures. Please don't post your ignorant statements. Everyone was evacuated for YOUR SAFETY. I was there, I know facts. I know stuff you don't.
I actually had a nice
I actually had a nice experience with the Stoughton Police. I interacted with them at the rotary trying to get in to Ikea. They were friendly, helpful, nice, polite and not at all what you experienced.
On the bright side, everyone is safe no matter how much inconvenience we felt we suffered. At least you got to start a cart! We drove over an hour only to find out the store was being evacuated.
Actually, there were plenty
Actually, there were plenty of staff giving directions (I was also there). You are not a police officer or emergency responder so maybe let them do their job rather than harassing them while they're trying to get everyone out. I doubt they were rude. Just because they didn't consult you for your "expertise" does not make them a disgrace. That's a little harsh.
If you had followed directions to evacuate properly, you wouldn't have had any problem finding a safe spot to wait it out. Maybe next time you should let police and staff do their jobs and keep your obnoxious opinions and pretentiousness to your self.
(eyeroll)
That's about all I've got for you, Kari.
Quit whining...
You're the last person those officers wanted to deal with. They had a major cluster f@&k on their hands, and then you come along and start acting like you know what you're talking about. They had bigger things to worry about than some crybaby citizen who was upset that they were being inconvenienced. Seriously, just say "thank you" and move along. Or, go don a uniform and serve your community instead of crying on the internet.
Really?
Thank you for what? For further endangering the public by mismanaging the evacuation?
What was mismanaged?
How would you have done it, since you're apparently an expert in emergency response? I
I claim no expertise in emergency evacuation
but the fact that it took over an hour to get everyone out, and the fact that people were in their cars right next to the building as opposed to a safe distance away, seems to speak for itself.
It took over an hour to for
It took over an hour to for everyone to drive away. Took minutes to empty the building.
Then blame IKEA...
They designed the place. Those who serve and protect don't choose the places where emergencies happen. They work with what the have. I get it: it's fashionable nowadays to wag a finger at a cop, but try to understand.
Say it ain't so.
Shocking. I've never heard of police acting arrogant or rude toward the public.
The police respond...
....according to how they are addressed. Just because you're a "tax payer" doesn't mean you get to talk to them like you talk to your employees. Because they are not your employees. We have to pay taxes. It's not a choice. This whiny punk who posted their names was no doubt nasty and rude right off the bat.
You must have information to which I am not privy.
We have two versions of the story here - one from a person who was there, and one from a bunch of police fanbois who weren't.
A fire dispatcher confirmed
A fire dispatcher confirmed the IKEA in Stoughton was being evacuated Saturday evening.
According to Stoughton fire dispatcher Joe Sbardella, the evacuation was conducted as the result of an investigation. Sbardella said he could not give details on the investigation.
Customers at the scene reported being evacuated.
http://patch.com/massachusetts/stoughton/ikea-stoughton-evacuated-0
Who has a grudge with IKEA?
Somebody who couldn't construct a piece of furniture or had a few screws loose? Would they even be capable of assembling a dangerous bomb?
from 2008 also in stoughton
(european ikea's have something of a history of bomb threats)
http://www.wickedlocal.com/article/20081209/News/312099695
They only have one emergency egress path?
That seems pretty sleazy and dumb when you consider what a crowded mess that place always is.
Disaster waiting to happen.
Not really. There are quite a
Not really. There are quite a few emergency exits from the building itself but due to the terrain theres only one driveway.
yet another good reason to shop local whenever you can.
I would, except all the
I would, except all the furniture stores in Cambridge are crazy upscale, and charge 10 times what I'm willing to pay.