14 FAH-4 H-330
processing incoming items
(CT:DPM-20; 01-23-2015)
(Office of Origin: A/LM)
14 FAH-4 H-331 screening of incoming
items
(CT:DPM-20; 01-23-2015)
United States Postal Service
(USPS) guidelines on mail security are found in USPS Publication 166,
Mail Center Security Guide, dated January 2013.
The three chapters address biological agents (including anthrax), mail bombs
and bomb threats, and mail center theft.
14 FAH-4 H-331.1 Domestic Screening
of Incoming Items
(CT:DPM-20; 01-23-2015)
a. Screening: The U.S.
Postal Service screens (USPS) first-class letters up to one-half inch in
thickness are screened by USPS for anthrax. USPS
irradiates all machinable official letter
mail addressed to Washington DC ZIP codes 202xx-205xx is irradiated by USPS.
b. For items arriving at DPM/U from USPS, commercial
transportation companies, or other U.S. Government
agencies: At SA-32, DPM/U visually inspects screens to detect radiological, chemical, and biological contaminants, and x-rays all envelopes and packages for prohibited
items and hazardous materials prior to shipment to post or delivery to the main State Department building Harry S Truman
(HST/Main State) and Washington area annexes.
c. For items arriving at domestic offices: The owning
bureau or office is responsible for performing
appropriate, local screening measures, in consultation with
A/OPR/FMS/DESD and DS. Typical screening
incorporates the use of x-ray for threat identification along with detailed
visual inspection. Guidance for visually identifying suspicious mail is
presented in 14
FAH-4 Exhibit H-331. Items that are suspicious
should be handled in accordance with the mail rooms established procedures
which may include opening and inspecting the mail in a biological safety
cabinet or in another controlled manner. Personal mail delivered to the Federal
workplace mailroom is considered delivered; therefore, the office staff can open it.
14 FAH-4 H-331.2 Screening of
Incoming Items at Posts Abroad
(CT:DPM-20; 01-23-2015)
a. Mail screening is a separate and distinct task from
mail sorting. Mail screening must occur in a facility outside the main
building and, in a removable modular
facility (see 14 FAH-4
H-121.1 for the physical requirements
of a mail screening facility).
b. Categories of items to be screened:
(1) Items arriving by classified diplomatic pouch do
not need to be screened prior to entry into a mission building. Classified
pouch shipments are considered to be sent from
a trusted source and transported by a trusted shipper, and delivered on safeguarded transit;
(2) Items arriving by unclassified pouch are considered to be from a trusted source but are not considered
to be transported by a trusted shipper. Therefore, they must be
screened at the mail screening facility prior to entry into a mission building
if there is evidence of tampering of the seal or damage to the bag. In
addition, posts may, on a random basis, screen a sample number of items from
unclassified pouch contents;
(3) Mail arriving via military postal service (MPS) or
diplomatic post office (DPO) has not been screened by Department of Defense (DOD) or the Department, and must be screened
at post in a mail screening facility prior to entry into a mission building.
Any Military Postal Service (MPS) mail
opened must be done under the provisions established in the DOD Postal Manual
(DOD 4525.6-M); and
(4) All commercial transportation company deliveries,
local deliveries, and local mail must be screened in a mail screening facility
prior to entry into a mission building.
c. Mail screening procedures at posts abroad:
(1) Visually inspect all envelopes and packages using
the guidelines in 14 FAH-4 Exhibit
H-331. If post has screening equipment such as an x-ray machine,
magnetometer or itemizer, post should also use this equipment to ensure the
envelope/package contains no suspicious
materials;
(2) If suspicious items are found during the mail
screening process and post has a Class I biological safety cabinet, the items
must be inspected and opened in the cabinet by personnel wearing disposable
gloves. Personal mail arriving in a diplomatic pouch can be opened without the
consent of the recipient; personal mail addressed
to a DPO or 20189 authorized address arriving via USPS, MPS, DPO, or
international mail cannot be opened without the
presence of the RSO and should not be opened without the consent of the
recipient;
(3) If suspicious items are found during the mail
screening process and post does not have a Class I biological safety cabinet,
the suspicious items should not be disturbed any further and should be immediately placed in a nearby secure
location. Unless an immediate threat to life is identified, personnel present
must remain in the immediate area, and only authorized response personnel may
enter so that potential contamination that may be present is not spread. The
mail control officer/postal officer and regional security officer must be contacted
to make a decision as to whether the item can be opened at post under
controlled conditions (e.g., using personal protection equipment) or if the
local hazardous materials (hazmat) unit
should be called to respond. Response personnel will make a determination as
to whether or not personnel must continue to remain in the area;
(4) If, after
being opened in the biological safety cabinet or under controlled conditions in
the mail screening facility, item is henceforth
considered safe, it may be re-entered into the mail processing stream; and
(5) If, after
being opened in the biological safety cabinet or under controlled conditions in
the mail screening facility, the item is considered
to be contaminated, it must be left in the biological safety cabinet, and the biological safety cabinet features must remain on. The mail control
officer/postal officer and regional security officer must be contacted
immediately to implement procedures for
dealing with hazardous materials. No personnel may leave the mail screening
facility until decontamination procedures have been completed. See 12 FAH-1
Annex F Addendum 8 for procedures for handling suspicious powder in threat
letters or containers received at post.
14 FAH-4 H-332 pick-up of incoming
items
(CT:DPM-20; 01-23-2015)
a. A/LM/PMP/DPM acts as the agent for the Department
when registered, certified, and other special category mail when the United States Postal Service (USPS) delivers the mail. If official registered and
certified letters and other controlled mail addressed to offices and employees
arrive at HST and annexes, it is signed for by cleared Interoffice Mail and Messenger Service (IMMS) staff.
Addressees or their designated mail staff then signs
for the mail items at pick-up:
(1) The first method of
choice is delivery verification via ILMS/MMS handheld devices. This provides a
chain of custody and more accurate archiving for critical articles requiring
storage of delivery records/transactions. If the USPS Form PS-3811,
Return Receipt Requested, card is used, cleared IMMS staff members must accept
it, complete it and return it to the sender via USPS; and
(2) Department offices should establish procedures to
ensure that a record of receipt is kept on file that identifies the customer
accepting delivery.
b. For accountable mail (i.e., USPS Certified Mail and
USPS Registered Mail), the mail clerk must receive positive identification.
14 FAH-4 H-333 THROUGH H-339 UNASSIGNED
14 FAH-4 Exhibit H-331
Guidance for Identifying Suspicious Envelopes/Parcels
(CT:DPM-20; 01-23-2015)
Items with any of the following characteristics (see USPS Poster 84) may indicate that the item
is suspicious and should be segregated for inspection by the mail control
officer/postal officer or regional security officer:
Inappropriate or unusual labeling:
excessive postage
handwritten or poorly typed addresses
misspellings of common words
strange return address or no return address
incorrect title or name, or title without a name
not addressed to a specific person
missing barcodes on USPS mail
marked with restrictions, such as Personal, Confidential, or
Do Not X-Ray
marked with any threatening language
postmarked from a city or State that does not match the return
address
mailed from an unknown foreign address
Appearance:
powdery substance felt through or appearing on the package or
envelope
oily stains, discoloration, or odor
use of waterproof wrapping paper
rigid, lopsided, or uneven envelope
excessive packaging materials such as masking tape, string, etc.
Other suspicious signs:
excessive weight
unusual sounds from the package, such as ticking
protruding wires or aluminum foil
delivery of mail by unexplained means or in an unusual place