Tallahassee-- A Hazardous Materials team was called out to the Collins State Building Tuesday after reports of a suspicious letter. See report below from Tallahassee Fire Department regarding the incident.
July 16, 2013
At around 4:30 p.m., units from the Tallahassee Fire Department Hazardous Materials Team were called out to the Collins State Building located at 107 West Gaines Street to the report of a suspicious letter. An employee inside the building experienced minor burns to the hand after handling a letter sent to the Collins State Building. The envelope and letter were isolated inside a plastic bag by employees and handed over to the Tallahassee Fire Department Hazardous Materials Team for testing. The PH field tests indicated a presence of a chemical base on the envelope that can result in burns or irritation to the skin if handled. The tests were negative for any signs of radiation, biological or explosive substances. The envelope and letter were sealed and turned over to the Department of Environmental Protection for further testing. The Tallahassee Police Department, Federal Bureau of Investigations, Department of Health, Department of Environmental Protection and Florida Department of Law Enforcement were also at the scene. The building remained open and was not evacuated during the incident as the envelope was isolated and removed from the building upon arrival of emergency crews.
