FREDERICK, Okla_There were some
tense hours in the city of Frederick
Wednesday. Authorities cordoned off the ambulance barn and called in Lawton's hazardous
materials team. It all began when one of the workers at the ambulance barn
opened up an envelope and out fell a religious card and some mysterious white
powder. They reported it to the city's emergency management department across
the street. Officials locked the building down and called in assistance.
We actually got
to the scene just a few minutes after the hazmat crew did. They were still
putting on their gear as we rolled up. Thankfully, it was a quick operation,
but for the worker inside the building who found the envelope, it was a little
tense.
Yellow police
tape surrounded the Tillman
County ambulance
building, with a strong police presence, making sure no one gets in or out. Inside
is Sarah Morrison and five other employees told to stay put until Lawton's hazmat arrived
to check out the white powder.
"We
weren't sure what it was."
Morrison said
she arrived at work this morning with this envelope addressed to the entire
department sitting on her desk.
"We didn't
think anything about it went to pick it up and a bunch of stuff fell out. I
didn't know if it was outside or inside of it, we weren't sure."
It wasn't long
before Lawton's
hazmat team arrived. They put on gas masks and other protective gear and
entered the building to take a closer look at the substance. Less than 15
minutes later they walked out. They gave the all clear to emergency crews who
were anxiously waiting outside.
"The test
was made and we did confirm that it was not a hazardous material."
Whoever
addressed the envelope wrote it by hand and misspelled the word, "Frederick." They
blotted it out with white out and re-wrote it.
"It dawned
on us one of our other co-workers had scratched off that white-off and we
realized it was more than likely just the white-off."
Despite the
scene outside and mistaking whiteout for a hazardous substance, Morrison said
she's glad it wasn't anything dangerous.
"It was
better to be sure than sorry but we found out what it was."
Rector said
another business received a similar envelope as well. Both have been handed
over to a U.S. Postal Service representative from Oklahoma City.
