Be-The-One - Anti-terrorism

Be the One to say something!

The national saying, “If you see something, say something!” is true. We encourage all our riders to Be the One to alert us if something doesn’t seem right! Alerting our driver sets the wheels in motion that could save lives, including your own. This section of our Be the One website offers some background on typical behavior and items that might be out of place, and what to do if you see something.

We’re only minutes away

When you board OC Bus, you’re more protected that you think. Between our video surveillance system and quick access to law enforcement, help can arrive within a matter of minutes. But we also need your assistance. What you see could help save lives. So if you see anything suspicious, please contact your driver immediately or call 911. When you point something out to us that you believe is suspicious, we are trained to respond appropriately.

Spotting suspicious activity

What is a suspicious activity? Any behavior that might be related to terrorism or terrorism-related activities, such as a person who appears to be hanging around in a specific location, for no apparent good reason, especially if they are at least partially concealed from sight, and who appears to be unusually interested in the facility or building, beyond a casual or professional interest.

Familiarize yourself with the following signs of suspicious activity and report people who are:

Loitering, especially in an unauthorized or restricted area;
Watching or staring at employees and/or passengers;
Displaying nervous behaviors, such as pacing back and forth, or fidgeting;
Engaged in disorderly conduct, or otherwise disturbing other people or making them uneasy;
Taking notes or measurements, pacing off distances, or sketching the floor plan;
Photographing the facility, or filming it using a video camera;
Looking at the facility through binoculars for an unusual amount of time;
Wearing bulky clothing, or clothing that is too heavy for the weather that day;
Carrying a weapon, or who appear to have a weapon; and/or
Carrying a suspicious package, or abandoning items and then quickly leaving.

Interviews with trained responders

OC Bus places a high level of importance on training our coach operators about how to handle suspicious activity or packages. We work with the Orange County Sheriff’s Department to ensure that all our riders are safe...and in safe hands. Watch our interviews to see trained responders in action.

Determining if an item is suspicious

Most unattended items are lost or forgotten. However, if you see an item that looks suspicious, don’t go near it, and immediately report it to transit officials or police. Characteristics of a suspicious package often include items:

Placed in an out-of-the-way or concealed location;
With batteries, wires, tanks, bottles, or bags attached to them, since they could contain chemicals or explosives;
Which emit or are surrounded by a suspicious cloud, mist, gas, vapor, odor, or fluid seeping from it;
Which have a message attached to it; and/or
Which are near individuals displaying signs of illness or distress.

Listen to your intuition

The behaviors and characteristics are based on guidelines from the Department of Homeland Security. However, law enforcement officials would always say that if something just doesn’t seem right, please Be the One to bring it to our attention. Your gut instinct could make a difference.

Four details we’ll need from you!

The more information we get from you, the easier it is for us to respond to reports of suspicious objects or activities. Being observant and taking mental notes will be extremely helpful. Here are some basics we’ll need to act fast. Please tell us:

WHO OR WHAT YOU SAW
Provide the bus driver or law enforcement agent with specifics that will help us identify suspicious characters. What were they? What was unique about them?
WHEN YOU SAW IT
Time of day is important if you are reporting something after the fact, or suspicious activity you’ve been seeing on a regular basis.
WHERE IT OCCURRED
Please let us know exactly where it occurred. If you are reporting something you saw onboard the bus, please identify the route number and bus number if possible.
WHY THE OBJECT OR ACTIVITY IS SUSPICIOUS
Let us know what caused you to take notice and alert us to the object or activity. Any additional insight will go a long way!

Interviews