To: ETSU Students, Faculty and Staff
From: Paul E.
Stanton, Jr.
President
Subject: Handling of Suspicious Mail or Packages
Date: October 19, 2001
Since the September 11th terrorist attacks on New York City and the Pentagon in Washington, DC, we have all become more aware of the danger of senseless acts of sabotage upon an unsuspecting civilian populace. Confirmed cases of exposure to anthrax have heightened our concern for exposure to potential chemical and biological elements. Although the actual probability of receiving a hazardous substance through the mail or package delivery is considered minimal, there is some level of vulnerability for East Tennessee State University students, faculty and staff.
As part of an effort to minimize the possibility of exposure or damage from illegal or dangerous materials, all mail and packages delivered to the University are now being subjected to increased scrutiny by the U. S. Postal Service, FedEx, UPS, and other commercial carriers as part of their heightened screening procedures. In addition, our Campus Post Office and the Central Receiving Department are conducting a more rigorous examination of all incoming mail and packages. However, the possibility does exist that you may receive a letter or package which, because of several recognizable characteristics, may be of suspicious origin or content. The ETSU Post Office, the Health and Safety Office, and the Department of Public Safety, in conjunction with local and federal agencies, have provided the attached information to help safeguard the health of ETSU personnel.
In the event you do receive any mail that meets one or more of the criterion outlined in the attached notice, you are urged to exercise prudent judgment in opening or handling that item of mail any more than absolutely necessary. You should cover the suspect item or place it in a plastic or paper bag, then call ETSU Public Safety. Public Safety will handle the item as a hazardous material. If the item is determined to meet specific hazardous material criteria, it will be taken away for further examination. You are advised that you may never see the item again, should it be subjected to analysis by local or federal authority. If the preliminary analysis determines that there is no evidence of a biological or chemical hazard, the item will be returned to you or your department for processing as standard mail.
This notice is not intended to alarm, nor to assert that ETSU is considered to be at any higher degree of risk than any other organization or its personnel, during this trying time in our nation. However, we do wish to reaffirm that our value that “People come first ...” is foremost in our concern for safety of you and the institution. While we do feel the danger is minimal, our position is to fully inform our personnel and to provide resources to reduce the risk to our student, faculty and staff family.
The current threat throughout our nation and the state of Tennessee is being taken very seriously by government authority. The Tennessee Homeland Security Director, General Gilbert, and the Governor have offered a $10,000 reward to assist in the arrest and conviction of bomb or biological threats in Tennessee. All personnel are cautioned against any acts which might be considered a threat or a hoax to ETSU or any other organization or individual.
Attachment
TENNESSEE STATE EMPLOYEES
GUIDELINES FOR IDENTIFYING AND HANDLING MAIL PIECES AND PACKAGES SUSPECTED OF CONTAINING A THREAT
REMAIN CALM: DO NOT GET EXCITED OR EXCITE OTHERS
Delivery:
Anthrax is difficult to disperse through air or water due to the fact the bacteria cannot survive exposure to ultraviolet light or direct moisture. The preferred method of delivery is through letters or packages opened by unsuspecting personnel. Anthrax delivered in this manner most often resembles a white, dry, fine, powdery substance.
Identifying Suspicious Mailpieces:
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Unexpected or from someone unfamiliar to you |
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Foreign Mail, Air Mail and Special delivery |
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Insufficient or excessive postage |
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Incorrect titles |
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Titles, but no name |
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Misspellings of common words |
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Handwritten, poorly typed or cut-and-paste lettering |
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Oily stains, discolorations or odor |
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No return address or address that can not be verified as legitimate |
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Return address and postmark not from same area |
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Excessive weight |
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Lopsided, uneven or rigid envelope |
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Protruding wires or aluminum foil |
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Excessive securing material such as masking tape, string, etc. |
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Visual distractions |
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Sloshing, buzzing or ticking sound |
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Restrictive markings such as Personal, Confidential, Rush Delivery, etc. |
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Shows a city or state in the postmark that does not match the return address |
Keep in mind that a potential threat can be enclosed in either a package or an envelope, and its outward appearance is limited only by the imagination of the sender.
If You Should Receive or Open A Suspicious Parcel:
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Do not panic. | |
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Do not shake or empty the contents of any suspicious envelope or package. | |
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Do not touch, smell, taste or try to analyze the substance. | |
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PLACE the envelope or package in a plastic bag or some other type of container to prevent leakage of contents. | |
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If the package or letter has been opened and powder spills out, DO NOT ATTEMPT TO CLEAN IT UP. KEEP OTHERS AWAY FROM THE AREA. | |
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If you do not have any container, then COVER the envelope or package with anything (e.g., clothing, paper, trash can, etc.) and do not remove this cover. | |
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Then LEAVE the room and CLOSE the door, or section off the area to prevent others from entering (i.e., keep others away). | |
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WASH your hands with soap and water to prevent spreading any powder to your face. | |
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What to do next… | |
| 1. | If you are at HOME, then report the incident to local police. | |
| 2. | If you are at WORK, then report the incident to Public Safety (911 or 94480), your building coordinator and your supervisor. | |
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LIST all people who where in the room or area when this suspicious letter or package was recognized. Give this list to Public Safety for follow-up investigations and advice. | |
DO NOT PANIC:
Anthrax is a bacterial, zoonotic disease. The serious forms of anthrax are inhalation (lungs) anthrax, cutaneous (skin) anthrax and intestinal anthrax. Anthrax is not spread from one person to another person. Therefore, there is no need to immunize or treat contacts of persons ill with anthrax, unless they were also exposed to the same source of infection.
The disease can be prevented after exposure by early treatment with the appropriate antibiotics.
Useful information may be found at the following web-sites:
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Mailing Address: Office of Human Resources
ETSU Box 70564
Johnson City, TN 37614-1707
Telephone: 423-439-4457
Fax: 423-439-8354
TDD: 423-439-4710
Office Hours: 8
a.m. to 4:30 p.m. E.S.T. Monday - Friday
Office Location: Rooms 307 and 311,
Dossett Hall
since 10/22/2001
Updated on 11/11/05
