[Oremem/Idamem] EEI REPORT POISONED AIR UPDATE

[Phil Barker]

DE AAR0ME NR 002
P 190605Z NOV 03
FM PHILLIP BARKER/AAR0ME OR
TO AAA0OR OR
ZEN JDOMS/AAN3DOMS MD
INFO AAA0OR AAA9W AAR0OR AAR0EOR
BT
ACTUAL INCIDENT
SUBJECT EEI REPORT  UPDATE

1. REF POISONED AIR OREGON  UPDATE
A. SALEM OREGON COSTCO WAREHOUSE AS REPORTED ON KATU-TV PORTLAND 6:30 PM 
LOCAL NEWS BROADCAST.
B.  OPERATIONAL.
C. OPERATIONAL.
D. ODORLESS AIRBORNE MATERIAL CAUSED MEMBERS OF GENERAL PUBLIC IN STORE 
TO PASS OUT. SEVERAL FIREFIGHTERS
NOT WEARING PROTECTIVE GEAR ALSO KNOCKED OUT DURING INITIAL RESCUE EARLY 
AT SCENE.
E. OPERATIONAL.
F. OPERATIONAL.
NEWS TEXT FROM KATU.COM WEBSITE CONCERNING INCIDENT:
NOVEMBER 18, 2003 CUSTOMERS EVACUATED FROM SALEM COSTCO.
SALEM - HUNDREDS OF SHOPPERS AND EMPLOYEES WERE EVACUATED FROM THE SALEM 
COSTCO STORE AFTER SEVERAL
SHOPPERS FELL ILL SHORTLY BEFORE NOON. TWENTY-FOUR VICTIMS WHO SUFFERED 
COMMON SYMPTOMS OF, "HEADACHE,
WEAKNESS  AND LIGHT-HEADEDNESS" WERE ADMITTED TO THE SALEM HOSPITAL. "I 
JUST REMEMBER SEEING PEOPLE LYING THERE
ON THE GROUND," SAID WITNESS ERIC SHANTZ. I THINK THERE WAS FIVE IN ALL 
THAT WERE ACTUALLY CARTED OUT OF HERE." 
SHANTZ ALSO SAID THE SCENE SEEMED FREE OF ANY SUSPICIOUS ODOR. THERE WAS 
NO ODOR, I DIDN'T SMELL ANYTHING. IT DIDN'T
MAKE YOU GAG OR ANYTHING  IT WAS LIKE AN ODORLESS SORT OF THING, " SAID 
SHANTZ.
EVEN THOUGH SHANTZ DID NOT SMELL ANYTHING, FIRST-RESPONDERS WERE 
AFFECTED BY THE MYSTERIOUS ODOR AFTER RUSHING
INTO THE AREA WITHOUT PROTECTIVE GEAR. THOSE FIREFIGHTERS SAID THEY WERE 
LIGHT HEADED FROM THE EXPERIENCE.
SOME OF THE CUSTOMERS WERE NOT AS LUCKY. "WE HAD ONE THAT WAS DEFINITELY 
PASSED OUT, ANOTHER ONE REPORTED
SEIZURE TYPE ACTIVITIES. SOME (REPORTED) BURNING SENSATIONS IN THEIR 
THROAT," SAID BILL HOLSTROM FROM THE SALEM
FIRE DEPARTMENT. AFTER FIRE AND HAZ-MAT CREWS TOOK AIR SAMPLES, THEY 
FOUND NO EVIDENCE OF THE MYSTERIOUS ODOR
THAT AFFECTED OVER TWO DOZEN VICTIMS THE STORE RE-OPENED AROUND 5 P.M. 
AFTER OFFICIALS DEEMED THE STORE SAFE.
INVESTIGATORS DID PLACE A RESTRICTION ON THE STORE, TO SHUT DOWN ITS 
FOOD-SERVING OPERATION FOR THE DAY.

ACTUAL INCIDENT
BT



NNNN