City authorities ratchet up security

As anthrax-contaminated letters continue to surface across the nation, businesses and government offices in Philadelphia are making preparations for a possible biological attack.

While there is no evidence of an anthrax attack in the city, police and fire officials say they have received hundreds of calls about suspicious materials since the nationwide scare began earlier this month.

According to Sgt. Roland Lee, a spokesman for the Philadelphia Police Department, the high number of false-alarm incidents reported to the police will probably drop as time passes and people start to calm down.

Philadelphia Police have received "quite a bit, at least 10 [calls] a day, all so far unfounded," Lee said. "You would hope that as it goes on, it would start to slow down."

And Debra Whyte, spokeswoman for the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, said that while she understands the fears, people need to remain calm.

"We're just asking people to exercise a little common sense and not panic," Whyte said.

Lee noted that Philadelphia Police Commissioner John Timoney has said that there is no real threat to Philadelphia. However, Lee also urged Philadelphians to remain cautious and report anything out of the ordinary to the police.

"We still encourage people to call the police if they see something suspicious and make sure that it's OK," he said.

And although city officials are asking residents to remain calm, several measures have been taken to minimize any possible threat.

Philadelphia Fire Department Capt. Robert Lewdanski said the department has formed Rapid Assessment Teams -- last used during the Republican National Convention -- to deal with any possible biological attacks.

"We've established six Rapid Assessment Teams," Lewdanski said. "They're dispatched with any hazardous material call, dispatched with an engine under commanding local and battalion chiefs."

Lewdanski said the six teams have been responding to a large number of calls about suspicious materials.

"Calls are really high," Lewdanski said. "We're getting between 30 and 40 hazardous material runs a day right now. So far we haven't had any positive [cases of] anthrax."

But these rapid response teams are not the only new precautions government offices and local businesses are taking. Last Friday, the Philadelphia Department of Public Health released a protocol for responding to letters or packages "containing threat of a biological agent (i.e. anthrax)."

While asking people to remain calm if they receive a suspicious package or envelope containing powder or dust, the protocol also urges that people contact local authorities.

According to Whyte, the 30th Street Post Office has had a 24-hour guard post for years, but recent events have made employees appreciate the police officers and guards even more.

"It makes them feel safer to know that the inspectors are here if they really need them," Whyte said.

Starting today, postal inspectors will be stationed on the main floor of the building around the clock.

And local newspapers and television stations have instituted new security procedures in light of the recent terrorist attacks, since media organizations -- including NBC News, ABC News and The New York Times -- have been targeted with letters containing anthrax or suspicious powders.

According to John Walsh, senior vice president of operations for Philadelphia Newspapers Inc. -- which includes both The Philadelphia Inquirer and the Philadelphia Daily News -- the company is trying to provide its employees with as much information as possible.

"Our goal is to make people more aware and our goal is to share as much information as we possibly can in an effort to make people feel more comfortable," Walsh said.

Luz Cardenas, spokeswoman for Mayor John Street, said that while Philadelphians are trying to get back to a sense of normalcy, the city is asking them to be on the lookout for anything out of the ordinary.

"We are trying to go about our daily lives and daily routines as normal as possible, but yes, we ask all our city employees and city residents to be vigilant," Cardenas said.

Daily Pennsylvanian staff writer Alexis Gilbert contributed to this report.

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