Laboratory hazardous devices team personnel who responded earlier this week to a report of a suspicious package near the Otowi Building at Technical Area 3 had more than the package to deal with: they also had to contend with Laboratory employees walking dangerously close to and remaining in the area after being asked to move farther away.
"People were walking through the tape lines, coming up to the package, even looking out the windows of the Otowi Building after they’d been asked to clear that side of the building,” said Brad Lounsbury of Emergency Management and Response (EMR).
Emergency Manager Manny L’Esperance confirmed the spectator problem, saying that it was even worse after the team used its first disruptive device. The sound drew even more onlookers, he said.
While the package turned out to be nothing more than a large bundle of plastic wrapped with tape, team members are concerned that Laboratory employees aren’t taking suspicious package calls as seriously as they should be for their own safety.
Following are the recommended procedures if a suspicious package is found:
• Do not activate any fire alarm pull station.
• Call 911 on a hard-wired telephone; never use a cell phone.
• If the building is evacuated, be sure those leaving the building are not routed within 300 feet of the suspicious package and that they do not go to a muster area within the 300-foot stand-off distance. No one should use a cell phone during the evacuation.
• The first person arriving at a muster area should carefully scan the area for any additional suspicious packages or devices; if one is found, direct arriving personnel to an alternate muster area that is 300 feet or more away from the suspicious package. Repeat the scan for anything suspicious.
• Follow the direction of emergency response personnel if requested to move to a more distant muster area.
• Never cross a tape perimeter that has been erected by emergency response personnel who are investigating a suspicious package.
