An Internal Revenue Service employee in Mobile became sick Wednesday after being exposed to a package containing an unknown substance.

Mobile Fire-Rescue crews responded to the IRS building in Mobile after a 55-year-old man reported being sick from a liquid that was in an international letter he received. The city’s hazardous materials team arrived at the scene at approximately 2:03 p.m.

The building was evacuated before MFRD arrived on the scene. HazMat teams received the suspected letter for testing. All preliminary tests at the scene came back negative for any chemical or biological substances of any kind.

The IRS employee who received the letter was attended to at the scene and was found to be stable with no signs or symptoms of illness.

 

 

View this post on Instagram

 

MOBILE, Ala. – At approximately 13:55 hours, MFRD crews were dispatched the IRS offices in the 800 block of S. University Blvd for reports of an approximately 55-year old “sick” after handling an international letter with an unknown liquid. MFRD’s Hazardous Materials teams were dispatched to the scene at approximately 14:03 hours. MFRD command staff and HazMat experts convened with IRS management and FBI officials to assess the situation and create an action plan in efforts to mitigate the scene and access the IRS employee. All other IRS employees successfully evacuated the building prior to MFRD arrival on scene. HazMat teams made entry and were able to secure the suspected letter. All preliminary tests at the scene returned negative results for any chemical or biological substances of any kind. The IRS employee who handled the “package” was assessed at the scene and presented vitally stable with no signs or symptoms of illness. The gentleman will be monitored for a few hours, ensuring no signs or symptoms become present. The letter was safely secured, packaged, and left with IRS officials, who will have additional tests run on the letter and its contents for confirmation. No civilians, federal employees, federal agents, or Mobile firefighters were harmed or injured during the mitigation of the incident. ####################

A post shared by Mobile Fire-Rescue (@mobile_fire_rescue) on Feb 19, 2020 at 4:03pm PST