Tuesday, October 16, 2001
Two Planned Parenthood employees were treated at East Liverpool City Hospital.
By NANCY TULLIS
VINDICATOR SALEM BUREAU
CALCUTTA -- Planned Parenthood of Mahoning Valley's health center in the Ogilve Square East Plaza remains closed today because of fear of anthrax contamination.
Chief James Hilbert of St. Clair Township police said the office in this suburb of East Liverpool will remain closed until the results of tests by Ohio Department of Health officials are known. A township police officer is stationed at the door.
Letter: Two Planned Parenthood employees were treated at East Liverpool City Hospital after they opened a letter containing a white powdery substance, Hilbert said. The women called police about 11 a.m., he said.
Fred Miller, hospital community relations director said the women were treated in the emergency room. Nasal swabs were taken and the women given the antibiotic ciprofloxacin as a precaution.
Hilbert said the East Liverpool Fire Department's hazardous materials team secured the letter in a biohazard container and decontaminated the area.
East Liverpool Assistant Fire Chief Bill Burns said firefighters Troy Walker and Scott Campbell of the Haz-Mat team responded and were on the scene about three hours. He said they removed the letter, other mail and a datebook from the building.
Burns said the Haz-Mat team responded at Level B, a medium response level for the team. The firefighters wore suits and respirators, with zippers and other seams taped shut, he said.
Sealed: The letter and other materials possibly contaminated were placed in plastic bags, a biohazard container and a larger 5-gallon container, Burns said.
"We tried to keep this low-key," Burns said. "We didn't want to scare the dickens out of everybody."
Burns said agents from the FBI's Youngstown office and the Ohio State Highway Patrol coordinated transport of the letter to Ohio Department of Health labs in Columbus.
He said the datebook and other mail were not sent for testing but are being kept secured until the test results are known.
Burns said the women went to the hospital on their own for some routine testing. He doesn't know how long it will be before ODH test results are known.