Wednesday, October 17, 2001

Anthrax fears lead to mail handling policy
By James Zwilling
Staff Reporter

Recent anthrax scares across the United States prompted TCU Mailing Services to send an e-mail to faculty and staff Tuesday outlining procedures for handling suspicious mail.

Mailing Services Manager Glen Hulme said the decision to write new guidelines came after more than seven or eight calls from concerned TCU staff members who open mail in their departments.

Simon Lopez/SKIFF STAFF Sarah DeSouza, a junior nursing major, sorts envelopes Tuesday in the mail room in Sadler Hall.

Mary Nell Kirk, executive assistant to the chancellor, said working closely with someone who is high-profile like Chancellor Michael Ferrari is cause for some concern.

“I don’t think TCU or the chancellor would be a target, but it’s obvious that we have to be more cautious,” she said.

Kirk said she is glad that Mailing Services issued new mail handling guidelines.

“If nothing else, (the policy) certainly reminds you of what to do if something was suspicious,” she said.

Hulme said he believes this policy will help calm some of the fears that faculty and staff may have.

“(The policy) makes everyone aware of the risks they may face and what to do if an incident was to occur,” Hulme said.

Creating the policy entitled “Handling Suspicious Mail Suspected of Containing Threatening Chemical or Biological Agents” was a joint effort between the departments of Mailing Services, Safety and Environmental Health and the TCU Police, Hulme said.

According to the e-mail, the policy centers on suggestions from the United States Postal Service, the FBIand the Centers for Disease Control.

Hulme said a similar policy instituted at Cornell University was also referenced while writing the policy.

In addition to the e-mail, Hulme addressed the concerns of postal workers in a meeting Tuesday morning, he said.

Mail Distribution Supervisor Deborah Smith said Hulme helped calm some of the fears they were having.

“At first, we weren’t really concerned,” she said. “But as more and more cases came forward, there were a few concerns about what our procedures should be.”

For Smith and her co-workers, the examination of post office policies in a time of crisis is familiar, Hulme said. U.S. Postal Service supervisors from the Trinity River Station instructed TCU post office workers on how to handle suspicious packages Sept. 14, in response to the terrorist attacks against America.

Smith said she thinks people opening the packages are at a greater risk than anyone else.

Simon Lopez, sophomore studio art major and TCU post office retail clerk, said he also believes people who open the mail are at the greatest risk, although it makes him a little uneasy working in a post office.

“It’s a little scary, I’m not going to lie,” he said. “But I don’t think TCU has a good chance of any problems. This policy is important because it will help calm nerves and raise the eyes of others who need to be aware of what is going on.”

Hulme said the policy was not sent to students because most of the concerns came from staff. However, Mailing Services will consider sending it out if there seem to be student concerns.

The guidelines are posted on the TCU Risk Management Web site at (www.saf.tcu.edu).

James Zwilling
j.g.zwilling@student.tcu.edu