OCR Text |
Show 4 TIMES March 18,2010 HILLTOP TIMES Mail handling security advisory includes safety tips Town hall meeting April 12 > BY STEVEN G. NUTT Installation Antiterrorism officer A ccording to the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, few aspects of our society are as safe as the U.S. Mail. In fact, postal inspectors say they have only investigated an average of 16 mail bombs over the past few years while the postal service has processed more than 170 billion pieces of mail. That being said, the Installation Antiterrorism Office would like to remind all Hill Air Force affiliated personnel that the threat does exist, and would like to take this opportunity to promote mail handling security and increase public awareness of the threat posed by receiving deadly materials in the mail. Although the odds of receiving dangerous mail are extremely unlikely, those that have been identified to date have had some very common characteristics. The following are some characteristics that have repeatedly shown up in the appearance of mail bombs and suspicious packages: • Excessive postage • Return address may be fictitious or nonexistent • The postmark is a different location than the return address • Mail bombs may bear restricted endorsements, such as "Personal" or "Private." This is particularly important when the addressee does not usually receive personal mail at the office. • Mail bombs may display distorted handwriting or the name and address may be prepared with homemade labels or cut-and-paste lettering. • Parcel bombs may be unprofessionally wrapped with several combinations of tape used to secure the package and may be endorsed "Fragile — Handle With Care" or "Rush — Do Not Delay" • Letter bombs may feel rigid, or appear uneven or lopsided • Package bombs may have an irregular shape, soft spots or bulges • Mail bombs may have pr.otruding wires, aluminum foil or oil stains and may emit a peculiar odor. In addition to having similar characteristics, there are several procedures that you can take if you believe that you have received a suspicious item in the mail. If you believe the item to be a bomb use the following checklist: • Do not open or handle the article • Do not use a phone in the immediate area — use a phone that is at least 50 feet away or located in the next room • If possible, open a window in the immediate area to assist in venting potentially explosive gases • Call 911 and report the incident by providing them with the following information: o Name o Address o Location of the device/parcel o Characteristics of envelope/ parcel that led you to believe it was dangerous o Your current location (i.e. neighbors' home across the street) • Evacuate all family members a minimum of 100 feet from your residence and inform any next- door neighbors of the situation and their need to evacuate • Wait for emergency responders and provide any information they request upon arrival If you believe the item contains a dangerous substance (liquid or powder) use the following checklist: • Do not shake, smell or empty the contents. If the contents are spilled, do not try to clean up the material. • Carefully place the letter orpackage into a wastebasket with a plastic bag liner and fold the edges of the liner over the letter or package to prevent leakage • Close the windows and doors to the affected room • Have any exposed personnel wash hands with soap and water • Call 911, and report the incident by providing them with the following information: o Name o Address o Location of the device or parcel o Characteristics of envelope or parcel that led you to believe it was dangerous o Your current location (i.e. across the street or in my front yard) • Evacuate all family members to an area just outside your residence; front yard if possible. • Upon evacuation, isolate exposed personnel away from other evacuees, and do not let anyone depart the area until told to do so by the emergency responders. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact the Hill Air Force Base Antiterrorism Office at (8775-5313/14. by Boyer Hill Military Housing B oyer Hill Military Housing representatives will be conducting a town hall meeting April 12, 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m, at the Base Theater. ;.-,;•.*; "In that meeting we will be talking about our con- \ '$£. struction updates," said Dawn Sousa, BHMH assistant "T property manager. The Year 5 and Year 6 plan will be reviewed as well and it will be an opportunity i>. for questions and concerns to be presented by "' ; residents. >-; "It's an opportunity to get correct information;"'' Sousa said. "It's an opportunity to hear from the project owners, directly. "It's also an opportunity to get an update on construction, specific to where their house sits, or will be impacted in the next 12 to 24 months," she added. "We are in the last two years of construction •• and innovation. After that all the parks will be -' done," Sousa said. "Everything will be fully com*; plete October 2011." CEL Survey will be mailing out residential surveys to the residents. ; "We need to hear from the residents (even if : they have no complaints)," she said. "What do you1 like? What are you happy with? If there is any- . thing bad about your new home, your neighbor- ."hood — anything, we still want that feedback," snfi said. "We want to hear the good and the bad." This helps direct future projects and help management as they look ahead to what's needed in : the properties on the base, she reported . O "We need to know our areas of improvement, :^, and we need to know what we're doing right," she" said. These surveys are done at every privatized base. If residents don't fill out the forms, Sousa • • said, management doesn't get an accurate picture. The survey mailings will occur within a week of the town hall meeting in order to facilitate their return. A grand prize giveaway of a 42-inch flat screen will be drawn from survey responses. Residents will also be able to bring their sealed surveys to the town hall meeting and exchange itfor their coupon for one free pizza. I • "In the past, we've used those surveys to de- termine what our residents want to see," Sousa 7. said, of improvements driven by that data. "They.wanted to see improved 'tot lots.' They wanted more community friendly activities. The splash pad was a direct result of that (input). Our desti- ., nation playgrounds that are coming also are based on what we heard our families want and from the surveys." -'] "In response to comments about the turnaround time involved in repairs, we've kept on more staff: who used to be seasonal (hires) in order to help -:;j with that," she said. :£M Sousa announced plans to improve the e-mailv • 1 database in order to send any improvement developments and a newsletter to residents. 15% OFF GANDOLFO'S any Menu item. With Military ID or Uniform Expires 4-15-10 - _' Come try our ;. Breakfast Sandwiches! No! valid with any other offer. Only 1 coupon per custom. Riverdaie location only; HOURS: 7-8 M-F 1140 W. Riverdaie R<t 801-393-7070 8-8 Sat. Closed Sunday Live Music each Wed & Thur. DJ each Fri. & Sat. Night Sat. Night: Karaoke Located in the " Hilton Garden Hotel 762 W.Hvttap Part Btrt. Layton 801-773-7807 PEDIATRIC DENTISTRY, P.C. Dale Hibbert, Pediatrics Jennifer Brown, Family Leland Pack, Orthodontist Accepts Military Insurance Latest technology in painless dentistry l Free exam for children under 2 yrs l Arcade games & more Open .; Mon through Sat >; 774-0770 2112 N. HILLFIELD RD. #1 • LAYTON |