IUPUI Environmental Health & Safety

Emergency Procedures > Biological Threats

Biological threats targeting individuals or departments can frequently be controlled by screening materials and by following the procedures listed below.

Responding Public Safety agencies have plans in place to deal with these types of threats. Following the procedures below will activate those plans and promote the highest level of safety while minimizing the disruption associated with these incidents.

Mail and package delivery to each department should be
creened for suspicious letters and/or packages. Common features to threat letters/packages are:
- No return address,
- handwritten or poorly typed address,
- misspelling of common words,
- restrictive markings such as “Confidential”, Personal”,
- excessive weight,
- and/or feel of a powdery or foreign substance.
Suspicious letters and packages should not be opened and should not be handled any more than is absolutely necessary. If there is nothing leaking from the suspicious item leave it alone and call the IUPUI Police Department at 911.
If you opened a letter that claims to have contaminated you and there is no substance seen or felt in the envelope or on the letter, chances are you have not been contaminated. Call the IUPUI Police Department at 911 and tell them exactly what you have done and what information you have in regard to the threatening letter. They will dispatch the appropriate personnel to your location to follow up on your possible exposure and to document what has taken place. Do NOThandle the suspicious item any more and do NOT let anyone else handle the item.
If you open a letter/package that claims to have contaminated you and there is a foreign substance in the envelope/package, close it, place it in a plastic bag if available or cover with paper. The person that opened the envelope/package; and anyone who came in contact with the envelope/package or its contents after it was opened, should immediately wash their hands with soap and water.

If you are covered with a significant amount of the substance, stay in the room. Call the IUPUI Police Department at 911 to report the letter and tell the dispatcher you have opened the envelope/package, there is a substance inside, and what you have done up to that point.

Public Safety responders can evaluate the risk to those in the room at the time of potential exposure as well as any impact on the remainder of the building. Based upon that risk assessment, further
emergency measures may be implemented as necessary.

If the risk is found to be minimal, other areas of the facility will not be disrupted and any necessary actions to return the area involved to normal activity will begin as soon as possible.