Anthrax Threat Guide for Montana
In the event of any TERRORISM THREAT: CALL OR HAVE SOMEONE CALL 911/ Sheriff’s Dispatch or
your local FBI office and tell them the manner of the threat and the specifics about what is going on; and give
them your exact location so they can find
you!
Background
This advisory is intended to provide potential recipients of letters or packages containing an anthrax threat with useful information and guidance to help them deal more effectively with such incidents, should they occur. Anthrax is a disease caused by a bacteria (Bacillus anthracis) that can be spread in its dormant, or spore, form and is harmful only if a sufficient dose is inhaled, ingested, or introduced into an open cut or wound. If inhaled, the disease may characteristically begin with mild flu-like symptoms (i.e., muscle aches, fever, fatigue, slight cough) usually 1-6 days after exposure, which may then progress after 2-4 days to more severe symptoms (i.e., high fever, shortness of breath). Anthrax is treatable with available antibiotics! Anthrax is NOT contagious (i.e., not spread from person-to-person); therefore, potentially exposed individuals need not necessarily be isolated or quarantined after being properly decontaminated.
Pre-incident Planning:Discuss this issue ahead of time and create a response plan that everyone understands and can follow. If you want, discuss your plan with local authorities and have their phone numbers readily available. Be suspicious of letters that do not have a return address and consider opening all mail in pre-selected areas. Pre-identify nearby showers that can be used for decontamination in the event of an incident. Have soap and shampoo readily available. Consider keeping a change of clothes (in a triple plastic bag (i.e., trash bag)) at work or in your car. The triple plastic bag can then be used for your old clothes. Be familiar with the ventilation system controls in the event the system needs to be turned off.
Immediate actions: If you receive a letter or package containing an Anthrax Threat.
Close the envelope/package and gently put it down. Do not blow into the envelope or examine the contents further (leave it alone for the appropriate authorities to handle). Walk promptly out of the room and advise others in the immediate area (sharing enclosed airspaces) to leave at once. Close the door. No one should be permitted to re-enter. (Note: those not in the immediate area of the opened package have very little risk of exposure.) The person(s) who directly handled the contents of the package should immediately wash their hands and arms thoroughly with soap and water.
Evacuation: (orderly movement of individuals to a safe distance from a hazard)
The immediate concern is having people remove themselves from risk of exposure. However, no one should leave the grounds! The extent of a building evacuation will depend on the circumstances of the situation and the comfort level of the individual(s) in charge. When in doubt, moving individuals outside or to an adjacent building is an acceptable option. While waiting for authorities, make a list of the names, addresses, and phone numbers of all persons in the immediate area of the incident to provide to the official in charge. If possible, turn off the ventilation to the involved area(s). Upon arrival, the authorities will provide assistance with appropriate evacuation procedures, collect pertinent information surrounding the incident and exposed individuals, and facilitate decontamination activities (if necessary). The authorities will remove the package from the facility and decontaminate the affected area. Instructions will be provided as to when the affected area may be re-occupied to resume normal activities.
Decontamination:(removal of potentially harmful substances from the skin and clothes):
Decontamination may be necessary for those who directly handled or who may have come into contact with the package contents. If necessary, potentially exposed individuals should proceed calmly (this is not an emergency procedure) to the nearest showering facility or home when instructed to do so by authorities. Remove clothing and personal effects and place in a sealed, airtight triple plastic bag (i.e., trash bags). Plastic bags with personal effects should be clearly labeled with the owner's name, address, phone number, and an inventory of the bag's contents. Individuals should shower with soap and water, focusing on exposed skin surfaces such as hair, face, neck, and arms. Bleach solutions are NOT necessary and should not be used to decontaminate individuals. For those individuals undergoing decontamination, your personal effects may be held by the authorities or returned to you. In the event that your personal effects are not taken, your clothing should be routinely laundered.
The Next Steps: (medical treatment and follow-up)
The authorities will have the contents of the package tested in a laboratory within 48 hours to ensure that you have not been exposed to any harmful substances. In the unlikely event that you have been potentially exposed to a harmful substance you will be contacted immediately and given further instructions for appropriate medical follow-up. Under most circumstances, those people potentially exposed to the contents of a threat letter do NOT need any further medical evaluation by a physician or treatment (i.e., medications). However, if you develop symptoms or even a mild fever (greater than 100.0 degrees F) before laboratory results are available, you should immediately call your personal physician and inform them about your potential exposure. Individuals that are uncomfortable waiting for lab results and wish to consult with their local physician should also have them contact the Montana Department of Health and Human Services for appropriate medical information.
