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Post office takes precautions against anthrax exposure
Post offices on the East Coast are on red alert for suspicious mail possibly carrying anthrax, which puts postal workers unwittingly on the front lines in the war on terrorism. As if these civil servants don't have enough to worry about when they come to work, with the threat of mail bombs and co-workers going "postal" hanging over their heads.
But are the workers at the Highlands Ranch post office scared of getting anthrax when they report for duty every day? For the most part, no, said postal officials and the employees themselves.
By By:Tamra Monahan
Post offices on the East Coast are on red alert for suspicious mail possibly carrying anthrax, which puts postal workers unwittingly on the front lines in the war on terrorism. As if these civil servants don't have enough to worry about when they come to work, with the threat of mail bombs and co-workers going "postal" hanging over their heads.
But are the workers at the Highlands Ranch post office scared of getting anthrax when they report for duty every day? For the most part, no, said postal officials and the employees themselves.
"I'm not concerned at all," said Gerard Morriss, a bulk mail technician at the Highlands Ranch post office. "I'm more concerned about how this has affected our whole economy. Mail is down 10 percent from last October to this October, and we had to take so much added security that our costs are going up. Businesses are being seriously affected, and I'm mainly concerned about how our whole economy is going to deal with this."
Denise Campuzano, customer relations manager for the Highlands Ranch Post Office, said postal workers are not calling in sick or quitting out of fear. In fact, she has had no one at the Highlands Ranch post office decline to work as a result of the anthrax scare.
She also said that the postal service is taking steps nationwide to protect its work force from the threat of anthrax. Rubber gloves, masks and the installation of HEPA filters on air ducts have helped alleviate the fears of most workers, although they usually don't wear the gloves or masks. In addition, all suspicious mail is quarantined and given over to authorities for inspection, but Campuzano said these regulations have been in place since the Unabomber's terrorist activities in the early 1980s. The only difference now is a heightened awareness of suspicious-looking mail or substances which may be hazardous.
After the discovery of anthrax-laden mail in Washington, D.C., Florida and New York, the United States Postal Service gave all of its employees extensive training in spotting anything out of the ordinary. What they look for now is mail with no return address, misspelled words, addressed to a title only (no first or last name), unusual substances or stains on the package, a strange odor or excessive postage.
Campuzano said the lack of a return address is a clear signal that something may be wrong with a piece of mail.
"That is something that is very, very alerting to us in the postal service," she said. "And alarming actually because if it doesn't have a return address on it, people don't want you to know where it's coming from."
This presents a problem with Christmas just around the corner because the post office receives a great deal of mail from children each year addressed to Santa with misspellings, no return address and odd shapes. These are usually harmless, but this year the post office is a little concerned about it.
Felix LeMarinel, postmaster for the south metro region, said the anthrax scare has caused more work for the postal service, but the mail that is getting through is safe for postal workers and the general public. He said Colorado has not experienced any anthrax threats yet. However, post offices across America are ready to deal with any type of package that comes through the mail.
"Probably every other day, we're giving our employees updates about what's going on nationwide, and they're handling it very well," he said. "It is scary about what we do know regarding what's happening in the east, but a lot of fear, like any fear, is being generated by what is unknown. But we're not backing away from our duties in a time when we, as a nation, are being terrorized."
Eugene White, a letter carrier in Highlands Ranch, said he is thankful that he's not on the East Coast and is concerned for his fellow workers. Although he is afraid of the threat of anthrax, he doesn't wear gloves or a mask because the danger here isn't as great as it is on the East Coast.
The fear of travel hasn't stopped people from getting passports at the post office. Wes Thompson, the post office's passport clerk, said for a few days after Sept. 11 very few people came in for passports, but since then business has been steady. Interestingly, Thompson said for a while most people getting passports were naturalized citizens who either wanted a second form of identification or were going back their native country to see family and friends.
During the attack on America, they too wanted to be close to those they hold dearest.
By By:Tamra Monahan
Post offices on the East Coast are on red alert for suspicious mail possibly carrying anthrax, which puts postal workers unwittingly on the front lines in the war on terrorism. As if these civil servants don't have enough to worry about when they come to work, with the threat of mail bombs and co-workers going "postal" hanging over their heads.
But are the workers at the Highlands Ranch post office scared of getting anthrax when they report for duty every day? For the most part, no, said postal officials and the employees themselves.
"I'm not concerned at all," said Gerard Morriss, a bulk mail technician at the Highlands Ranch post office. "I'm more concerned about how this has affected our whole economy. Mail is down 10 percent from last October to this October, and we had to take so much added security that our costs are going up. Businesses are being seriously affected, and I'm mainly concerned about how our whole economy is going to deal with this."
Denise Campuzano, customer relations manager for the Highlands Ranch Post Office, said postal workers are not calling in sick or quitting out of fear. In fact, she has had no one at the Highlands Ranch post office decline to work as a result of the anthrax scare.
She also said that the postal service is taking steps nationwide to protect its work force from the threat of anthrax. Rubber gloves, masks and the installation of HEPA filters on air ducts have helped alleviate the fears of most workers, although they usually don't wear the gloves or masks. In addition, all suspicious mail is quarantined and given over to authorities for inspection, but Campuzano said these regulations have been in place since the Unabomber's terrorist activities in the early 1980s. The only difference now is a heightened awareness of suspicious-looking mail or substances which may be hazardous.
After the discovery of anthrax-laden mail in Washington, D.C., Florida and New York, the United States Postal Service gave all of its employees extensive training in spotting anything out of the ordinary. What they look for now is mail with no return address, misspelled words, addressed to a title only (no first or last name), unusual substances or stains on the package, a strange odor or excessive postage.
Campuzano said the lack of a return address is a clear signal that something may be wrong with a piece of mail.
"That is something that is very, very alerting to us in the postal service," she said. "And alarming actually because if it doesn't have a return address on it, people don't want you to know where it's coming from."
This presents a problem with Christmas just around the corner because the post office receives a great deal of mail from children each year addressed to Santa with misspellings, no return address and odd shapes. These are usually harmless, but this year the post office is a little concerned about it.
Felix LeMarinel, postmaster for the south metro region, said the anthrax scare has caused more work for the postal service, but the mail that is getting through is safe for postal workers and the general public. He said Colorado has not experienced any anthrax threats yet. However, post offices across America are ready to deal with any type of package that comes through the mail.
"Probably every other day, we're giving our employees updates about what's going on nationwide, and they're handling it very well," he said. "It is scary about what we do know regarding what's happening in the east, but a lot of fear, like any fear, is being generated by what is unknown. But we're not backing away from our duties in a time when we, as a nation, are being terrorized."
Eugene White, a letter carrier in Highlands Ranch, said he is thankful that he's not on the East Coast and is concerned for his fellow workers. Although he is afraid of the threat of anthrax, he doesn't wear gloves or a mask because the danger here isn't as great as it is on the East Coast.
The fear of travel hasn't stopped people from getting passports at the post office. Wes Thompson, the post office's passport clerk, said for a few days after Sept. 11 very few people came in for passports, but since then business has been steady. Interestingly, Thompson said for a while most people getting passports were naturalized citizens who either wanted a second form of identification or were going back their native country to see family and friends.
During the attack on America, they too wanted to be close to those they hold dearest.
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