Suspicious Device Causes School Lockdown, Brings in Bomb Squad

An unattended gas testing device at a local park caused a private school to be put on lockdown and brought in the bomb squad Friday. 

According to the Fremont Police Department, the incident occurred just before noon when a citizen reported a suspicious package left on a table at Marshall Park, located on the 5300 block of Curtis Street.

The suspicious item was chained to a baseball backstop near the Stratford School campus and had black and red wires exposed. There was also a beeping noise coming from the device, with the red wire running to a PG&E gas line marker, according to police.

Authorities responded to the park and placed Stratford School on lockdown, with nearby residents instructed to shelter in place.

Officers used a robot to get a better look at the suspicious device before calling in the Alameda County bomb squad, who identified it as a gas line tester.

An employee of Bess Test, a PG&E subcontractor, eventually showed up and took responsibility for the device.

Fremont police contacted the employee’s supervisor and requested they revise their protocols and include signage identifying their devices in the future.