Police cordon off Kingsport main post office

Kingsport police and possibly other law enforcement agencies began sealing off the main Kingsport post office in downtown Kingsport shortly after 8 a.m. today. There was no immediate report on why the activity was taking place.

Radio traffic indicated that all streets surrounding the post office were being blocked and no traffic was being allowed to approach the post office. Additionally, the parking lot was being evacuated.

The radio traffic also indicated that the FBI had been notified of a situation, and that a Hazardous Materials crew was also on scene.

Additional information will be posted as received.

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-- bill (bill@bill.com), October 31, 2001

Answers

I just heard from the wife of a 20yr (of service) plus Fireman in Kingsport, quote, "It was nothing".

-- bill (bill@bill.com), October 31, 2001.

There are DOZENS (I would guess) of these going on each day across the country, based on what I know of our experiences in Pennsylvania in the past couple-three weeks.

Sometimes there's no way to say the threat is silly, at first; I am not arguing this is an over-reaction in all instances -- but sometimes a simple phone call to the sender of the package can alleviate concern.

In any event, from the "rear of the front lines" (sitting in a state health department dealing with the health end of these types of things), let me make it clear: this isn't even abnormal, nowadays. I regret to say this is becoming the new "normality."

-- Andre Weltman, M.D. (aweltman@state.pa.us), October 31, 2001.

i agree.. this was a false alarm... and im sorry for wasting anyone's time.. I for one, would like to know of every hazmat/local police/fbi cordoning off main post offices across the fruited plains...

and be it as regular to you, as it may... it is not regular to me... considering it has *never* happened in any town i have ever lived in, while i was living there or not.

thx!

-- bill (bill@bill.com), October 31, 2001.

Understood, bill, no specific criticism intended. Just trying to add the perspective from where I sit. These truly are happening all over the U.S., all the time now. And a few in other countries too.

The problem of course is that we are dealing with smart human opponents, learning as they go. At some point, it is possible one of these little incidents will be the real thing. But along the way the number of false alarms is staggering and seriously beginning to "wear out" the system (lab capacity, personnel, etc etc).

-- Andre Weltman (aweltman@state.pa.us), November 01, 2001.