The San
Francisco Police Bomb Squad was called out before noon Tuesday to examine a
suspicious package a block from City Hall. With a bomb squad cube van and Fire
Department personnel and equipment standing by, two members of the bomb squad
examined the 10x14 yellow manila envelope.
The exterior
of the envelope was marked Hazardous Waste Special Handling Required, daubed
on with black paint. It took about 10 minutes for the pair to open the envelope,
which contained a few badly deteriorated highway flares and a few AA batteries.
An unidentified member of the bomb squad said the package posed no danger at
any time.
The entire
law enforcement community is on full alert following the destruction of the
World Trade Center towers in New York this morning. San Francisco City Hall
is cordoned off as are all the streets surrounding it, so dozens of police officers,
county sheriffs and other law enforcement officials were in the immediate vicinity.
According to the bomb squad member at the scene of today's incident, there are about a dozen members of the bomb squad. At least one other bomb squad patrol was in evidence, a pickup truck fitted with tool boxes marked bomb squad was seen at 8th and Folsom two hours after the first incident.