Suspicious Powder Found at Bethesda Postal Service Facility

At approximately 10:30 a.m., Montgomery County Fire/EMS responded to 10421 Motor City Drive for an unconfirmed powder with possible persons exhibiting signs of illness at the postal service facility in Bethesda, according to spokesman Assistant Chief Scott Graham.

Fire/EMS and hazardous material units, along with hazardous materials units from the National Institutes of Health Fire Department, evaluated patients and the scene, as well as some of the equipment, Graham said.

Four persons, three adult females and one adult male were transported to a local hospital exhibiting signs of irritation to the skin only; they were decontaminated as a matter of routine process on the scene, he added.

Hazardous materials units and Fire/EMS evaluated several packages and equipment in the receiving area and found no hazardous material, Graham said.

The United States Postal arrived on the scene with testing equipment as well. It will do further testing to complete and determine whether there was any type of hazardous material.