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Suspicious
Mail
TO: Health Sciences Administrators
FROM: Stephanie K. Steppe RE: Who to Contact Regarding Suspicious Mailings ON-CAMPUS INCIDENTS In addition to contacting UW Police Department (9-911) when you receive any suspicious mail or packages, you should also contact UW EH&S (Environmental Health & Safety) at 543-7262. UWPD and UW EH&S work together on incidents of suspicious mail; contacting both units will help coordinate that effort. If you happen to receive suspicious mail PLEASE contain/restrict the area and leave the item(s) where they were first discovered. Inform an HSEC member to call 9-911 to alert the UW Police Department. The police responders will contact the local bomb squad or hazmat team, if it is appropriate. Information was received from Byron Byrne (the Bioterrorism Preparedness Response Coordinator for King County Government). We will work with Stephanie Steppe’s office at 543-6114 to follow suggestions listed below. Our mail is processed through Health Sciences Admin Services and has passed through many hands before reaching our department. If you see any of the following recognition points and feel uncomfortable about opening mail, let us know (providing specifics) so that we can contact the police with your information. An Incident/Accident Report should always be completed and after the fact is fine. REMEMBER to use common sense about the various packages that we receive on a daily basis. There is no need to be paranoid about receiving mail but just be cautious. http://www.ehs.washington.edu/forms/IncidentFillin.pdf Oily stains or discolorations Lopsided or uneven envelop Protruding wires or tin-foil Excessive securing material Visual distractions As of October 4, 2002, CDC reports that 13 threat letters with an overseas post mark containing a powder and statement alleging exposure to anthrax and smallpox have been received throughout the nation. Recipients have included State Governors, State and Federal financial institutions, federal government agencies, foreign embassies, a news organization and other organizations. CDC has not reported any positive test results related to these letters. To State DOH's knowledge, no letters have been received in WA. State. Should you respond to threat letter incident that has an overseas postmark, Public Health Seattle and King County recommends;
Byron Byrne (206) 205-6277
From: police@u.washington.edu
Sent: Monday, October 15, 2001 4:01 PM Subject: Suspicious mail This message is being sent to all All Faculty, Staff, and Students with approval of the Office of the Vice President. If you have any concerns about a suspicious piece of mail or package, call University Police, 206-543-9331. Below are some of the questions and answers about hazardous materials and specifically anthrax. If you have concerns about your mail, more information has been provided by the U.S. Postal Service http://usps.com and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention http://www.bt.cdc.gov/ and Seattle-King County Public Health, http://www.metrokc.gov/health/bioterrorism/ What constitutes a "suspicious parcel?" Some typical characteristics Postal Inspectors have detected over the years, which ought to trigger suspicion, include parcels that:
What should I do if I've received a suspicious parcel in the mail?
What should I do if I have opened a parcel with suspicious contents?
If you have questions or concerns about this issue, please reply
to police@u.washington.edu. |
Staff information should be made available on Staffweb (http://staffweb.hsl.washington.edu/).
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