for
the Amherst campus of the University of Massachusetts
Oct 19, 2001
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Departments coordinate emergency response by Sarah R. Buchholz, Chronicle staff  n the wake of anthrax discoveries in several offices in Florida, New York and Washington and a large number of apparently related hoaxes, University officials revisited campus safety measures this week.Staff from Environmental Health and Safety (EH&S), Mail Services, University Police (UMPD), and other areas met to ensure that systems already in place to deal with biological, chemical and explosives threats are clear to personnel who would respond in an emergency and that new information from the FBI and Centers for Disease Control about current health issues is disseminated quickly. According to all sources, UMPD is the first place anyone who suspects danger should call. Officers have been trained to respond so that the area in question is secured and any employees who might be in danger are given appropriate assistance. They also are prepared to contact relevant offices on campus for support and expertise. University Health Services and EH&S are designated sources of information for employees with questions about the effects of biological and chemical substances on humans or about how those substances might be spread. EH&S's board-certified biological and chemical safety officer Valerie Steinberg and hazardous waste officer Jim Field are the office's experts, according to Don Robinson, director of EH&S. "[They] have been working with UMPD around response to these kinds of issues," he said. "We are offering to dispose of any package [people] are concerned about that they don't want to open, unless it's needed for police work." Robinson said that Steinberg works with a committee in the Research area that ensures safe handling procedures for hazardous materials used in research. "We have a very formalized program for registration of this material," he said. "The procedures that we use on campus are adequate, and these are systems that have been in place for many years all over the country and in other countries," Steinberg said. "People who work in the research labs follow all these procedures. We're just asking people to be a little more aware of their surroundings. If anybody suspicious is hanging around, they should be questioned." UMPD circulated a memo Oct. 14 to all its personnel to heighten their awareness of the locations on campus where hazardous materials are stored. The memo indicates that police have increased security at those sites. Steinberg said the campus is looking beyond the threat-of-the-day. "In our approach, we do try to look not just at anthrax," she said. "In any kind of response we're going to give, it's keeping in mind there could be other things that are going on - chemical, explosive devices..." Steinberg said EH&S has a team of people prepared to handle radioactive materials and biological and chemical agents on campus. Explosive devices would probably require help from off campus, she said, and if that were the case Public Safety would get that help. "We would know whom to call if we needed ... support," she said. In addition to being available to assist campus police with situations involving hazardous materials, EH&S provides information to people around the state through a telephone line citizens can call when they have questions. "I even had a call from someone who was worried about his home being attacked, so some people are very frightened," Steinberg said. "The fear factor is so great." Mail Services manager Richard Clarity met with his staff Monday to discuss how to respond to suspicious-looking packages or letters because most of the prior week's possible anthrax incidents centered on transmission of anthrax spores via letters and packages. "We have a poster of how you identify suspicious packages," he said. "These are the same kinds of things for them to be aware of [in looking for contaminated mail]. "What we've done differently [because of recent events] is I've collected as much information as I can on the national mail managers list serve. The post office is on alert, and the Amherst Post Office assured me that anything they received from a higher authority they would pass on to me. "We're in the process of having latex gloves available. The danger is probably very low at this point. All the contaminated mail has been sent to politicians and news agencies so far." Nevertheless, Clarity said, Mail Services is taking precautions. "We're trying to take care of it without alarming anybody unnecessarily." Information about biological hazards can be obtained at the Centers for Disease Control Web site (www.cdc.gov/health/diseases.htm). |
