B737-400 FLC NOTIFIED OF BOMB THREAT ON THEIR ACFT. REQUESTED PRIORITY HANDLING AND TAXIED TO REMOTE AREA. IT TOOK 35 MINS FOR AIR STAIRS THEN BUSSES TO ARRIVE TO TAKE PAX FROM ACFT AND BEGIN SEARCH.

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WE WERE OVER REDDING; CA; WHEN WE RECEIVED A CALL FROM DIRECTOR OF FLT CTL (DFC) STATING THAT A WOMAN HAD CALLED A BOMB THREAT ON OUR ACFT AND IT WAS LOCATED IN THE BELLY OF THE AIRPLANE. CAPT NOTIFIED THE FIRST FLT ATTENDANT OF THE SIT AND ASKED FOR INPUTS; WHETHER WE FELT WE SHOULD GO BACK TO OAK; TO GO PDX; OR CONTINUE TO SEA. WE BOTH STATED THAT WE WOULD GO WITH HIS DECISION. I STATED THAT IT MIGHT BE WISE TO PUT IT DOWN IN LMT OR PDX. WE DECIDED LMT MIGHT NOT BE A GOOD OPTION BECAUSE IT DOES NOT HAVE THE FACILITIES TO SEARCH FOR A BOMB OR GET THE PAX OFF. MY INSTINCT TOLD ME TO GO TO PDX AND I ADVISED HIM OF MY OPINION. AT THAT TIME I BELIEVE WE CAME TO AN AGREEMENT ON GOING TO PDX. HE CALLED THE DFC AND TOLD HIM THAT WE WERE THINKING OF GOING TO PDX. DFC TOLD US TO GO AHEAD AND BRING IT TO SEA AND THAT HE HAD STARTED THE BALL ROLLING. HENCE; WE PROCEEDED TO SEA. WE ADVISED ATC OF OUR SIT AND THEY PROVIDED US PRIORITY HANDLING TO SEA. THE REST OF THE FLT WAS UNEVENTFUL. THE CAPT HAD ASKED FOR BUSSES AND STAIRWAY TO BE AVAILABLE UPON ARR IN SEA SO THAT WE MAY DEPLANE OUR PAX EXPEDITIOUSLY. ONCE WE LANDED WE PARKED IN A REMOTE AREA OF THE ARPT. THE ONLY PERSONNEL TO MEET THE ACFT WAS THE ARPT SUPVR IN A WHITE BRONCO. IT WAS NOT UNTIL 35 MINS LATER THAT AIR STAIRS CAME TO THE ACFT AND 2 BUSSES. THE RESPONSE TIME FROM THE GND WAS TOTALLY INADMISSIBLE! CAPT DID NOT WANT TO PULL THE SLIDES IN FEAR OF GETTING PEOPLE HURT IN THE PROCESS OF EVACING THE ACFT. THE 2 BUSSES FILLED UP RAPIDLY AND THERE WAS NOT ENOUGH SPACE TO ACCOMMODATE THE WHOLE FLT. THE POLICE TOLD US THAT THE REST OF THE PAX HAD TO GET BACK ON THE AIRPLANE BECAUSE THEY COULD NOT BE ON THE TARMAC. THE CAPT ADVISED THE POLICE OFFICER THAT WE SUPPOSEDLY HAVE A BOMB ON THE ACFT AND THAT ALL PAX ARE COMING OFF. WE FINALLY GOT EVERYONE OFF SAFELY OFF THE ACFT; AND THE BOMB SQUAD SEARCHED THE ACFT WITH THEIR DOG. THERE WAS DEFINITELY A BREAKDOWN IN COM SOMEWHERE. I FEEL A QUICKER RESPONSE TIME FROM THE AUTHS ON THE GND SHOULD HAVE HAPPENED.