Just before noon on Thursday, a call of a suspicious package came in at the River Centre Office Tower, otherwise known as the KPMG building, on 2nd Avenue South and 19th Street East.
“It’s the uncertainty, the unknown of actually what the product is so when we respond to these types of incidents – we have to respond with the idea that it could be a worst case scenario,” Wayne Rodger, with the Saskatoon Fire Department, said.
“It could actually be a dangerous product that could impact the health of the occupants that are in close proximity.”
PHOTO GALLERY:
It was lights and sirens for the five apparatus that initially responded to the scene, resources that grew with every passing minute until officials were able to determine the package or what it contained wasn’t dangerous to the public.
“Our visual observation – it would be consistent to dried corrector fluid.”
READ MORE: Police seal off downtown Calgary business due to ‘suspicious’ package
Whiteout, or liquid, paper that upon further examination of the composition found inside the package was determined to be benign. As for who or how the package was delivered and why to the fourth floor is still being investigated.
“We evacuated floors two to five in order to ensure the safety of the occupants,” Rodger said.
At the time, crews were able to isolate the air handling system to stop the transmission of any dangerous substances.
Primary care paramedics assessed two individuals at the accounting firm who were in direct contact with the package – fake or not.
“Usually it’s an isolation process where you want to remove any potential contact of that product that was on them,” Rodger addded.
“That could be a matter of washing them down and changing them into an attire that is free of whatever contaminate there may be and then having that clothing cleaned later on.”
As to whether this was a copycat, that remains unclear. In November, another suspicious package incident shut down parts of the downtown core – the emergency response effort that time cost $67,000.
WATCH MORE: Woman charged in suspicious packages incident pleads not guilty
Comments