Milwaukee Post Office hazmat response, suspicious letter not dangerous
Suspicious letter at Milwaukee post office
Milwaukee firefighters responded to a Milwaukee post office for a suspicious letter that contained powder. While the powder was deemed not hazardous, the city says the letter appears similar to other letters sent across the country intended for election offices.
MILWAUKEE - The Milwaukee Fire Department says powder found in a letter at the post office on St. Paul Avenue on Friday, Nov. 1, is not dangerous, but the city says the letter appears similar to other letters sent across the country intended for election offices.
A city spokesperson said the letter found at the downtown post office bore similarities. He wouldn't say where it was addressed.
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The fire department's hazmat team was called shortly after 11 a.m.
Members donned protective suits and went into an employee-only area. The FBI was also on scene.
Scene outside the USPS facility on St. Paul Ave.
The Postal Inspection Service says it was notified of a potential letter coming in and intercepted it.
The Milwaukee Fire Department says it screened the letter and powder inside, and found it didn't pose a danger.
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"We were notified of a potential letter coming in. We were able to intercept it today. We worked with our partners with the Milwaukee Fire Department hazmat unit and the FBI who were able to take custody of the letter – once initial screening was conducted – and it will be submitted for additional testing," said U.S. Postal Inspection Service Supervisor Francis Pilon.
The scene was cleared just before 1:30 p.m.
Scene outside the USPS facility on St. Paul Ave.
"I want to reassure people that every possible scenario has been considered, and the city is well-prepared to respond – as necessary – as you can see in this situation," said Jeff Fleming with the City of Milwaukee.
The union says it will be speaking to management, as it's concerned about who knew about the letter and when, and why the building wasn't evacuated.
Statement from the FBI Milwaukee Division:
"The FBI and U.S. Postal Inspection Service are investigating a series of suspicious mailings sent to U.S. Postal facilities in several states. Some of the letters contained an unknown substance and we are working closely with our law enforcement partners to respond to each incident and safely collect the letters. As this is an ongoing matter we will not be commenting further on the investigation, but the public can be assured safety is our top priority. We would also like to remind everyone to exercise care in handling mail, especially from unrecognized senders. If you see something suspicious, please contact law enforcement immediately."