Campus Reponds to Bioterrorism Alerts

University Communications Psychology Professor Examines New Treatment for Chronic Anxiety Campus Reponds to Bioterrorism Alerts Board Approves Feasibility Study for Limited Residential Housing Employees Honored for Years of Service Forum for the 21st Century: Corporate Giving for the Arts UMass Journal Examines Commonwealth’s Economy and Poverty Women Make a Difference: The Mass Action for Women Audit Unveiled 1,200 Listeners Worldwide Support UMass Boston Radio Looney Receives Public Service Award Avery Faigenbaum Helps Kids Have Fun with Fitness Christmas Unwrapped... Best Practices: Academic Support for Student Athletes PeopleSoft Prepares the University for Change Michael Chesson Examines the Civil War in Exile In Richmond First Recipient Awarded Guimond Scholarship Campus Notes Snow Policy 2001-2002 Calendar of Events

By Leigh DuPuy Since September 11, the nation has experienced numerous incidents of bioterrorism. In response to the national alert, UMass Boston established a protocol to address any suspected incidents of anthrax or other acts of bioterrorism on campus. Public Safety and Environmental, Health and Safety (EH&S) have responded to thirteen incidents on campus, all but two of which required the analysis of the Boston Fire Department’s Hazardous Materials Unit (HazMat). All incidents were found to be non-threatening and there is no evidence of any kind of biohazard threat to date. In fact, in over 2,000 such reports in Massachusetts, no anthrax has been found. What happens when someone at UMass Boston worries that an object is suspicious? Members of the university community should contact Public Safety by calling 911 on the nearest campus phone in response to any suspicious mail, packages, or material. Public safety officers are immediately dispatched to the location. There, they secure the area by closing it off to all occupants, and they notify EH&S, which is staffed by certified industrial hygienists trained to respond to emergencies. EH&S is available 24 hours a day to come to the location, assess the area and situation, and decide whether it is necessary to call HazMat. If they are called, HazMat will come to the scene and may remove a sample of the material for testing at the state laboratories. EH&S provides the Office of Administration and Finance (A&F) with information and options about dealing with the affected area while awaiting test results from HazMat or in a situation where HazMat is not called. Together with the Chancellor’s Office, A&F decides whether to keep the area open or closed. A&F will inform the offices of the provost and university communications (UC) if an area is closed. UC will be responsible for distributing a mass communication on the situation. Information on campus procedures and incidents is currently available on a newly revised website. The university community can click on the “Campus bioterrorism safety” link on the front page of www.umb.edu. From there, readers can access information about campus responses and updates on possible situations. They also can link to several pages of information, including a Q & A resource on anthrax, a public health advisory written from the Boston Public Health Commission Communicable Disease Control, and specific information about the university protocol for anthrax or other threats. back to top

This official page of the University of Massachusetts Boston
was last modified: Wednesday, December 5, 2001