LOGAN, Utah — Utah State University officials are commending students who spoke up during the evacuation of the school's Old Main Building on Tuesday due to a suspicious bag.
An Aggie Alert was issued at 2:45 p.m. following someone notifying campus police about a suspicious item placed near the exterior of the building.
Following the order, with people out of the building, the bomb squad was heard yelling "fire in the hole" before a loud explosion rang out as the suspicious device was detonated.
Detonation of suspicious device heard in video below (Marinn Cahoon):
Officials shared new details about what led to the order, saying police found the device was a backpack that contained a wildlife telemetry collar used for field research. The collar was being held for a student in a class practicing telemetry work, and had been placed there by an employee.
The all-clear signal was given nearly an hour after the evacuation order was issued, and people were allowed to return to the building, which was deemed clear and safe.
"I'm grateful our Aggie campus community is proactive about safety," Ellis Bruch, the USU Director of Public Safety, stated. "Better safe than sorry isn't a clichè. It's a great reminder to always stay alert and diligent."
The Explosive Ordinance Disposal Squad typically detonates objects with GPS signals, cell antennas, and other such items that come across to render them safe out of an abundance of caution.
"We encourage everyone that if you see something, say something," Burch added. "It's good to see the system work."
