Thwarting Swatting at Attractions

In spring 2026, several zoos in North America shuttered for a day when operators were the target of threats. In July, a Florida water park was evacuated after a caller phoned in a threat. Time after time, after a proactive response and thorough inspection from law enforcement, no immediate threat was discovered, and the venue reopened in the days that followed.

“Swatting” is defined by U.S. Homeland Security as the malicious act of making a false emergency call to police to report a severe, ongoing crisis—such as a bomb threat or active shooter. Often, the caller will aim to trick emergency dispatchers into sending heavily armed first responders to an unsuspecting victim's location.

What should an attraction operator do when becoming victim to swatting?
“The initial response is critical,” shares the Orange County Sherrif’s Office (OCSO) in central Florida. “Affected attractions should treat every threat as credible until it has been assessed by law enforcement.”
 

Welcome Law Enforcement Early 

The best practice for managing a swatting threat is to prepare before a critical moment arrives. 
Prior preparation is the single most effective way to improve an attraction’s response to swatting calls and other threats.

This begins with establishing a strong relationship with local law enforcement before a crisis arises. Whether an amusement park, science center, water park, museum, zoo, aquarium, and family entertainment center, the attraction should develop—and maintain—a strong working relationship with its local law enforcement and other authorities having jurisdiction.

Best practices include:
•    Inviting emergency personnel to visit a facility on a regular basis for a tour and conversation.
•    Operations, food, and merchandise managers should show authorities evacuation routes, designate where first responders may park their vehicles, participate in tabletop exercises, and discuss further emergency response drills. These can be held before opening for the day or during the off-season. 
•    Leaders and designers should engage with first responders during the planning stage of major expansions or modifications.
•    Offer opportunities for law enforcement to conduct their own training exercises, for example, inside an FEC’s laser tag arena or a water park when appropriate.

These activities can familiarize law enforcement with a facility’s access routes, operational procedures, and personnel. Pre-emergency visits establish trust and credibility before an emergency occurs.

Develop an Emergency Action Plan

Attractions should develop a comprehensive emergency action plan that addresses a variety of emergency scenarios, including swatting incidents.
The plan should:
•    Be flexible enough to address multiple threat scenarios, from swatting to severe weather (i.e., when should outdoor miniature golf courses and bumper boat attractions close when weather radar indicates a thunderstorm with lightning is approaching).
•    Clearly define notification (and escalation) procedures to senior managers and owners.
•    Identify communication protocols for not only employees, but also for guests.
•    Define how the attraction will activate, manage, and ultimately conclude the incident response.

“We want to urge anyone who encounters something suspicious to call 911 and let law enforcement determine if there is a threat or a crime taking place,” says the OCSO.

The United States Department of Homeland provides this bomb threat checklist that operators should familiarize themselves with. 

Conduct Training Exercises

Owners and operators should train office employees—those who are most likely to receive a threatening call—with tactics on how to calmly respond. These staff members should be given a set of instructions and a script to follow should they take a threatening call. 

To familiarize associates, attractions leaders should schedule time to conduct tabletop exercises during the off-season or before the facility opens for the day. Local law enforcement agencies can assist in these training drills while adding a layer of expertise.

All attractions managers should stay connected to current events and learn from incidents that occur throughout the attractions industry. This includes social media, where AI-generated images circulate serving as an invitation to unsanctioned mass gatherings—often labeled as a “teen takeover”—where participants look to create chaos and fight with each other. Operators need to recognize these unorganized events should be shared with law enforcement immediately so a facility and law enforcement can formulate a coordinated response ahead of the event.

Holding relevant lessons ensures planning before a crisis can assist attraction managers when staying current. Ahead of a swatting incident, well-trained facility staff should be ready to assist first responders by:
•    Sharing current operational status (i.e., how many guests are at the facility; the number of employees at work; the posted facility closing time, etc.)
•    Providing authorities having jurisdiction with access to CCTV and other security systems.
•    Knowing how to turn off background music.
•    How and when to access a public address system. 
•    Knowing how to operate lighting panels as to increase brightness in dark rides, arcades, laser tag arenas, etc.
Information sharing can support first responders with informed decision-making, preventing delays when timing is critical. 
 

Fostering a Culture of Vigilance

It’s essential that an attraction promote a culture in which every employee understands their role in maintaining safety and security. All hourly employees should feel empowered to report suspicious behavior and report unattended items. Operators need to encourage staff to "Say Something" if they "See Something” without a threat of retribution.

Facility managers also need to reiterate to staff it’s important to remain alert without creating unnecessary concern among guests. This can be done by training frontline staff to hold sensitive conversations outside the earshot of a guest. Quietly conversing will prevent a cause to panic.

Following an incident, it’s important to hold structured, after-action reviews to identify lessons learned and look for improvement opportunities.

Maintaining a layered security program using complementary layers of protection can ward off problems before they begin. These include uniformed security patrols, officers posted at entry points, guest and employee screening procedures upon entry to the facility, the monitoring of CCTV, and ensuing emergency communications systems are working. A layered security approach can improve overall situational awareness and strengthen an attraction's ability to assess and respond to potential threats.

Following 2026 swatting events at zoos, the AZA issued this document for zoo and aquarium leadership, security personnel, HR managers, communications professionals, and operations teams.  This document provides insight all attractions can benefit from.