Patients, staff and visitors at UC Health’s Clifton campus had an unplanned fire drill of the worst kind Tuesday morning when a bomb threat forced a brief evacuation of the Blood Cancer Healing Center and drew a sizable police response.
Cincinnati police officers and K-9 units swept the building and nearby areas while people waited outside, according to WCPO. After the search turned up nothing, officers cleared the scene and allowed everyone to return to the facility.
Police told WCPO that the scare started with a faxed threat about a pipe bomb in the area. A WCPO crew on scene reported a large police presence around the Blood Cancer Healing Center as K-9 teams worked outside the building. The department later confirmed the building was cleared and access was restored.
Where the sweep happened
UC Health’s Blood Cancer Healing Center on the Clifton campus serves as a centralized hub for blood-cancer care, bringing inpatient and outpatient services under one roof for patients and families. The facility’s public page provides service details and contact information.
University of Cincinnati emergency guidelines make it clear that bomb threats are treated as real until authorities declare otherwise. The school’s protocols outline how to evacuate, conduct K-9 sweeps and secure entrances during a search. Those details are available in the University of Cincinnati emergency procedures.
Recent pattern of threats
Tuesday’s scare fits a troubling local pattern. In recent weeks, threats have triggered precautionary evacuations at several spots around the Tri-State, including grocery stores and other public venues. WCPO has tracked multiple bomb threats that prompted sweeps and evacuations before ultimately being deemed unfounded.
Local officials say that kind of fast, better-safe-than-sorry response is now standard practice, especially in places serving patients and vulnerable visitors.
No injuries were reported in connection with Tuesday’s sweep, and there were no immediate arrests. As of publication, campus officials had not issued further updates. Authorities are asking anyone with information about the threat to contact Cincinnati police or the university’s public-safety office.
