City prepares response plans

The City of Bloomington and local emergency agencies are prepared to handle potential anthrax threats, Bloomington Mayor John Fernandez said Wednesday in a press conference at City Hall.\nLocal police, fire and utilities departments are on a heightened state of alert because of recent reports of potential anthrax contamination, city officials said. \nPolice and fire units are ready to handle future calls for substances people fear might be anthrax. The utilities department, which processes campus and city water, has doubled its daily water quality inspections to 40, utilities officials said. \n"We have been prepared for many years," Fernandez said of such situations. "We're positioned very well to deal with emergency situations." \nBut Fernandez cautioned citizens not to report substances that could reasonably be determined not to be anthrax, which means a full-blown response by emergency workers at considerable expense. \n"Let's not go overboard," Fernandez said. "We can't let fear and uncertainty turn into panic."\nBloomington Police Chief Michael Hostetler echoed Fernandez's comments. \n"We want the public to be concerned," Hostetler said. \nBut Hostetler said that white powder in a laundromat, for example, is not necessarily a hazardous material that needs to be reported to police.\nThere have been eight calls to police in the area regarding anthrax since Monday, but none of the substances found has tested positive so far. Of the three reports that were responded to by the local police and fire, one was at Planned Parenthood, 421 S. College Ave., and two were on campus. \nResults from Planned Parenthood were negative, but results are not yet available for the two campus incidents. There were no calls on Wednesday to local authorities regarding anthrax threats.\nBloomington Fire Chief Jeff Barlow, whose department plays a supporting role with law enforcement when responding to hazardous materials calls, said agencies came together as one team during the three incidents.\n"Agencies worked well together and made sure we didn't have individual efforts," Barlow said. "Coordination was very good."\nBarlow said Monday and Tuesday were examples of how things are supposed to work, based on years of emergency response readiness. \n"Plans are in place and plans do work," he said.\nHostetler said that a thorough criminal investigation is now being conducted and that his department is consulting with other law enforcement agencies throughout the state and the FBI. \n"Prosecutors will work closely with us and any charges that can be brought will be," he said.\nBloomington Hospital and Healthcare System's infectious control office released an informational pamphlet on anthrax Wednesday afternoon, outlining how people should handle anthrax threats or suspicious packages.\nJonna Risher, community relations coordinator for the hospital, also stressed that needlessly reporting powders that aren't likely to be anthrax is a financial burden on those called to respond, clean up and test the substance and anyone who came into contact with it.