“White Powder” in Mail No Mere Prank – It’s a Felony

Photo courtesy of Orange City Fire

By Greg Mellen

It is a chilling scenario. You are opening personal or business mail when suddenly confronted with the dreaded “white powder,” or some other unknown substance.

Although the chances of it being anything but a hoax are remote, that doesn’t make the initial discovery any less terrifying.

Recently, first responders had to react to potential hazardous materials at Children’s Hospital of Orange County (CHOC). Attacks and threats of ricin, anthrax, and other toxins and agents being sent via mail date back to the 1970s and peaked in the early 2000s after September 11, with several high-profile attacks and attempts.

Ever since, the potential of biological attacks, despite their rarity, is taken extremely seriously.

False alarm at CHOC

In May, at CHOC, several public safety agencies responded to “potential hazmat concerns.” Personnel from Orange, Anaheim, Orange, and Huntington Beach, along with the Orange County Sheriff’s Department bomb squad, FBI and OC Health.

A statement posted to the Orange City Fire Department’s Facebook page read that a hospital staff member received an envelope with an unknown white powder.

“Ultimately, only two patients were transported to the hospital,” the statement read, although 10 patients were examined for possible exposure.

Chief Nick Freeman, who oversees the Hazard Materials operations for the Orange County Fire Authority, said hazmat responses are viewed as serious.

“We treat all white powder as legit until we learn otherwise,” he said.

Generally, hazmat response consists of dispatching a regularly trained eight-person team in full protective gear. The team tests the substances to learn whether the substance is a biological hazard or something else. Victims are transported to a hospital for appropriate treatment if needed.

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