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Less Than Credible Threats
Florida Department of Health
Office of Emergency Operations
October 10, 2001
Effective immediately the following operational procedures
will be implemented to deal with suspicious objects, i.e. envelopes or
substances that are deemed LESS THAN CREDIBLE THREATS BY THE FBI.
FBI must state that the item does not exhibit a criminal
intent and they determine that it is non-threatening.
Local law enforcement authorities then make a decision:
§ Does the item or substance pose criminal intent or is it
a public safety issue?
§ If NO then the item is returned to the owner.
If the answer is YES, they proceed as follows:
§ If it is only suspected of being of evidentiary nature
then it is handled in law enforcement channels.
If the answer is YES and they suspect it is of a biological
or chemical nature they proceed as follows:
§ Notify local Hazmat or Fire department and Bomb Squad
§ Determine it does not contain a bomb
§ Have Hazmat determine it is not chemical
§ If suspected to be biological have Hazmat double bag and
seal
§ Then call local health department
Local Health Department:
§ Evaluate the risk and make recommendations.
§ Have local law enforcement initiate a chain of custody
form.
§ Notify the State Department of Health Office of
Emergency Operations of their decisions.
§ Notify the department of Health state laboratory that
they are getting ready to send the item or sample.
§ Determine method of transportation, hand deliver in
double bag or over-package and send by courier service.
§ After testing is completed, notify local law enforcement
of results.
Department of Health State Laboratory
Upon receiving notification that an item, substance or sample
needs testing, determine which State Laboratory will be designated to receive it
and advise the local health department to send it to designated State Health
Department Laboratory.
§ Receiving laboratory will sign chain of custody form.
§ Process the material for testing.
§ Render a report to the county health department which
sent the material.
§ Local Health Department will notify local law
enforcement of the testing results.
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