May 12, 2014: Peoria, IL – The Central Illinois Public Information Officers will be participating in a full scale exercise at the State Street Post Office in Peoria, IL on Tuesday, May 13 from 3:40 – 6:00 p.m. During the exercise, the post office will be practicing its response to a Biohazard Detection System alert which alerts postal employees to the presence of Anthrax. The CIPIO will practice establishing and staffing a Joint Information Center (JIC) as a result of the alert. A JIC is utilized during large scale disasters that either affect a large number of people or a large geographic area, both of which are possible should Anthrax be detected in mail.

The CIPIO will also practice the emergency response role of Media Liaison in conjunction with post office personnel if media elects to cover the event as a real-world news story. For more information on the exercise, please contact Michael Clark, Post Office Supervisor, CSS – Finance, at (309) 671-8833.