'BOOM!' That wasn't a bomb, that was a highly audible unauthorized science experiment (and therefore you can't make us evacuate this building)...
When some teachers at the huge Chicago Vocational Career Academy (CVCA) heard what they thought was an explosion at the school, they prepared to evacuate the building. CPS security procedures require a building's evacuation when a bomb scare is called in. So when a real bomb (small, but loud) actually goes off in the building, it's reasonable to assume that the building will follow CPS security procedures and evacuate -- until the police go through the building and determine that there can be an all-clear.
But that's not what happened at CVCA.
Above: Chicago Vocational Career Academy High School (CVCA), 2100 E. 87th St., was not evacuated despite the fact that a small bomb exploded in the building. CPS security and safety regulations require the building be evacuated in the event of a bomb scare. Substance has been told that the hair splitting (a "bomb" is not a "bomb scare") is still going on. Details to follow. The photograph above was taken in March 2007. Substance photo by George N. Schmidt.And the building is so large that most students and staff didn't know there had been a bomb explosion until long after it had gone BOOM!
According to Chicago Board of Education's Communications Director Monique Bond, there was no explosive at CVCA.
"No explosive was on school grounds," Bond e-mailed to Substance in response to a question. "A student brought a homemade device made of soda water and cleaning solution which erupted inside a classroom. The student has been suspended. There was no evacuation."
