The full alarm was raised recently when a bomb threat came against the Ormen Lange gas plant. The facility is located on the coast of Møre and Romsdal and is considered to be a potential terrorist target. Only after half an hour did the police send out a Twitter message. It said that the police were on the way and that the situation was unclear. At the same time, the police wrote that they were unable to answer journalists because it was so hectic. This is what the first message from the police looked like. By then, more than half an hour had passed since the police were notified of the false bomb threat. Photo: screenshot from Twitter Then there was silence from the police. – It is completely unacceptable. These are very serious situations, and the police have a duty to inform the citizens of what is happening, says Elin Floberghagen. She is secretary general of the Norwegian Press Association, which organizes journalists and editors from various parts of the industry. Secretary General Elin Floberghagen of the Norwegian Press Association. Photo: Thomas Brun / NTB scanpix Only three quarters of an hour after the first Twitter message, the police explained that the danger was over, and wrote that they would send out a press release. It came after another hour. Full evacuation after bomb threat against the gas plant at Nyhamna in Aukra Hundreds evacuated twice Just a few days before the evacuation at Ormen Lange, almost 300 people from Hurtigruten were evacuated at full speed to a hotel in Ålesund. That time, too, there was a bomb threat that caused unrest. The police wrote again that they prioritized talking to journalists, but that the message to the Hurtigruten caused concern. – People have the right to know when something is happening, that is absolutely fundamental in a democratic society. And then editorial media is the most important channel, says Floberghagen. It is not the first time the police have failed to update people about dramatic events. In 2018, the Norwegian Association of Journalists conducted a survey which showed that many people were dissatisfied with the information provided by the police during critical incidents. The police reject the criticism The police reject the criticism. Kenneth Sætre is a police inspector and chief of staff and the person who speaks on behalf of the police. He says he has full confidence in the employees at the operations centre, who decide what is prioritized. – I have full confidence in the operational managers we have. They are experienced and skilled people and they do a great job, and sometimes they have to make tough priorities, he says. – Why didn’t they put in competent personnel who are able to talk to the media immediately when incidents of that caliber happen there? – It was done, we had communications staff who were on their way to work to help. – But why does it take so long before they come out with a press release? – The message that the police must bring must be correct and precise. – Can’t they do it faster? – No, sometimes it takes time, and that’s how it was on Thursday. – Can people be sure that they will receive information when something serious happens that they should know about? – The operations manager’s job is to notify. We notify the agencies that will help us with exactly that, and that is what we prioritize, he says. He says that it took time to call in information people and that they had to spend time formulating a precise message to avoid scaring people. Kenneth Sætre is a police inspector and chief of staff. He says the police did the best they could when the reports of bomb threats came. Photo: Remi Sagen / news The two operational leaders in the police who were on duty when the bomb threats came are aware of the criticism, but do not wish to speak to news. Mayors answered 40 phone calls Mayor Odd Jørgen Nilssen in Aukra was one of the first to learn of the bomb threat against Ormen Lange. He is a former sheriff and understands well that the police were in a hurry when they had to deal with what was potentially a very dangerous situation. The mayor was one of those who got tens of journalists on the line. During the first few minutes, he received over 40 calls from the press from home and abroad. – It was completely impossible to answer everyone who called. I took the ones I could, he says. The mayor of Aukra, Odd Jørgen Nilsen. Photo: Malin Kjellstadli Korsnes / news Incarcerated after false threats Both bomb threats turned out to be false, and the man who was behind them is now incarcerated. The man in his 60s is known to have caused fear by reporting false incidents before. Kenneth Sætre in the police says they take the criticism to heart and that they will now evaluate what happened. – We go through such an incident and see afterwards whether we can do otherwise. When news writes that there is dissatisfaction with our media handling, it will be the subject of a review, he says.
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Evacuated several hundred after bomb threats against Ormen Lange
