Faith-Based Daily Awareness Post 06 November 2023

These updates are shared to help raise the situational awareness of Faith-Based organizations to best defend against and mitigate the impacts from all-hazards threats including physical security, cybersecurity, and natural disasters. 

Seattle police investigate suspicious packages mailed to synagogues

The Seattle Times Reports:

Two Seward Park synagogues received suspicious packages in the mail, each containing a white powdery substance, Seattle police said Friday, after determining the contents were not hazardous.

No one was hurt.

Detectives with the Seattle Police Department Arson Bomb Squad will lead the investigation.

Related items:

• Suspicious mail delivered to 3 Seattle synagogues prompts hazmat response
• Suspicious envelopes at Seattle synagogues deemed non-hazardous by fire department

Analyst Comments:

Most suspicious package containing white powder are harmless, but in the 2001 anthrax attacks, 17 people were sickened and five died. NPR provided a Timeline: How The Anthrax Terror Unfolded.

The BBC reported that in 2020, a Canadian woman sent Donald Trump an envelope with ricin poison. In 2014, a Mississippi man sent ricin laced letters to Barack Obama and other government officials.

The dangers of accidental fentanyl exposure should also be considered.

FBOs cannot have the elaborate mail screening facilities that protect presidents, but some basic preventive measures can be taken when handling mail:

• Examine and open all mail in a separate area.
• Wear gloves when opening mail.
• Wash hands after opening mail.
• Be alert for suspicious packages.
• Do not open any suspicious packages – isolate them and call 911 to have them evaluated.

The US Postal Service Inspectors provide Poster 84 – Suspicious Mail or Packages to help identify suspicious packages.

The following are basic steps to take If a Faith-Based Organization (FBO) receives a suspicious package with white powder:

• Activate your emergency plan.
• Call 911.
• Leave the package where it is and close the door.
• Isolate anyone who contacted the package.
• Evacuate the area.
• If possible, turn off air handlers.

ZenBusiness provides additional information in Prepare to Respond to Mailed Threat of White Powder.

FB-ISAO Slack

FB-ISAO members are sharing additional information on the Israel-Hamas Conflict, as well as information about threats, domestic protests, and security coordination activities in FB-ISAO Slack. Join here.