College and University Mail Center Security

Opryland Hotel

Nashville TN

College & University Track

Session 14

10:30 – 11:45 AM

March 23, 2005

Your Presenter

John P. Golding

SuperintendentPostal & Distribution Services

Northern Virginia Community College

Annandale VA

Over 45 years experience in the Postal, Distribution & Safety

Fields.

MEMBER OF:

USPIS-BMITF

ARMCUMS - UMMA

National Safety Council

CSHEMA Div of NSC

Chesapeake Region (NSC)

EXECUTIVE BOARD MEMBER:

NACUMS

CUMSA - MARCUMS

Virginia Community College Association

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Taylor Golding – Granddaughter – 8th Grade – DMMS – Winchester VA

Alison W. Baker JD – VP F&AS – NVCC – Annandale VADon D. Delmanzo – Dir. Fac. Mgt. – NVCC – Annandale VA

Roger Tancreti – Asst. Director S&SS – NVCC – Annandale VABarbara Shufflebarger – DHRM – NVCC – Annandale VA

F Kristin McClaren – VA-DHRM/WC – Richmond VA

Cheryl George – Lebanon Valley College – Annville PA

Anthony Prisco – USPS – BSN – No. VA Dist. – Merrifield VAUnited States Postal Inspection Service – Dulles VA

Fairfax County (VA) Department of Fire & EMS Services

NVCC – Postal & Distribution Services Team

College and University Mail Center Security

This session will cover a broad overview of security concerns and issues

Postal Operations in the C & U Setting shows that we are a diverse & unique industry.

The Big Box Store principal does not apply.

Each C&U Mail Center reflects the character and style of the individual Institution.

Mail Bombs, Anthrax & Ricin

Today we are not going to go down this road, they were covered in

several other sessions here @ the NPF

Need information on these subjects contact

the US Postal Inspection Service and

request their Law Enforcement Packet

Today we are going to touch on:

Security issues:

Operational Authority

Disaster Plan

Physical Locations

Employees

Training & Marketing

Liabilities

Type of Mail:

Official Business

Generic Addressed

Student

Bulk / Unsolicited

& finish with

Food for Thought

Operational Authority

REFERENCE:

USPS - Domestic Mail Manual

Article: DO422.3.0Conditions of Delivery

Section: 4.0 Delivery to Individual at

Organization

Sub:4.1To Address:

All mail addressed to a governmental or nongovernmental organization or to an individual by name or title at the address of the organization is delivered to the organization, as is similarly addressed mail for former officials, employees, contractors, agents, ect.

If disagreements arises where any such mail should be delivered, it must be delivered under the order of the ORGANIZATION'S PRESIDENT or equivalent official.

Operational Authority

NORTHERN VIRGINIA COMMUNITY COLLEGE

ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES PROCEDURES MANUAL Section 27 POSTAL & DISTRIBUTION SERVICE CENTER  Revised September 2002

As the Agent for Commonwealth of Virginia and Northern Virginia Community College;

The Superintendent of NVCC Postal & Distribution Services;

Is designated to have the right to open, inspect, reject, and determine disposition of any and all items presented for receiving, shipment, processing or distribution thru the NVCC Postal & Distribution Services Operation.

Disaster Plan

Do you have a written disaster plan?

Is it review & updated?

Whom is it shared with?

Pre-Emergency Planning

SIMPLE EMERGENCY

MAJOR EMERGENCY:

DISASTER: Keep planning simple.

Contents of planning must be exercised.

PHASED PLANNING (conducted in three increments).

Before something happens: Plan development unique to Your Operation on Campus

When it happens / while it is happening:

Emergency Response.

After it happens: Recovery and Continuity

of Operations.

Establish Working Relationships

Emergency Services Side:

Campus Police / Security

Local & State Law Enforcement

Local Fire & EMS

Local Post Office, USPS-BSN & USPIS

Local Industrial Safety & Security Departments

On your campus:

Facilities Management Department

Human Resources

Workers Compensation

College Marketing & Public Affairs

Administrative Groups

Physical Locations

PUBLIC AREAS

Your Lobby, Boxes, & Counter Area

ARE THEY SECURE

WELL LIGHTED

VIEWABLE

Are You Asking for Trouble?

Does your area invite loitering, trash & ect.? Do your boxes accommodate the customer? These are security & safety concerns

Work & Processing Areas

MAIL PROCESSING AREAS ARE THEY:

SECURE & RESTRICTED

WELL LIGHTED & VIEWABLE

THE SAME FOR YOUR DOCK AREAS

Physical Security

Have security guards greet all visitors and examine personal belongings being brought into the building or office area

Restrict access to the facility or office through locked or guarded entryways.

Keep storage rooms, boiler rooms, telephone closets, and similar hiding places locked or “off-limits” to visitors. 

Use easily distinguishable identification badges for staff personnel and for visitors.

Require visitors to be accompanied by staff employees to and from the office or facility entrance.

Physical Security

Request visitors to display identification to security personnel when they sign in (keep detailed logs on all visitors’ times of

arrival and departure). 

Require that all non-postal courier deliveries exceeding 1 pound

be made through mail center screening personnel.

Obviously, commercial bulk deliveries would be excluded. 

It is recommend that you consider using the services of a Certified Protection Professional to evaluate your personnel and physical security safeguards in detail.

Full & Part Time Employees

Subject to Pre-Employment Screening to include Drug Testing & Driver License Review

Follow-up testing and reviews as required

Do you furnish continual Professional Development Training

To include Customer Service, Security & Safety Programs

Student Employees

Do you require

the same

pre-employment and annual reviews from

your student employees as you do for your full or

part time employees?

WHY NOT?

Who do you train?

ALL EMPLOYEESFULL, PART TIME & STUDENTS

  Emergency Response Plan (ERP):

Plan, Train, Revise...

 We will respond the way "we" trained...

 Ensure Security & Safety...

Training & Marketing

Do you have an established training program?

How in depth is it?

Do you update it?

Is it training or Lip Service?

Or do you just react when something happens.

Do you offer your training courses to:

Invite representatives of campus groups to attend

your training sessions

Campus &/or College Working Groups

Example would be to sponsor & provide outside experts to

talk to your college secretarial & administrative

groups

TRAINING It’s cost efficient - Most of it is FREE

Sources:

US POSTAL INSPECTION SERVICE

USPS – BUSINESS SERVICE NETWORK

STATE / LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT

FIRE DEPARTMENT, EMS & HAZ-MAT TEAMS

INDUSTRY SECURITY & SAFETY TEAMS

YOUR INSURANCE CARRIER

Free TrainingAvailable from the USPS website

The USPS & USPIS offer for FREE the following DVD’s

Identity Crisis."Dialing for Dollars"

Work at Home Scam

Show them to your employees & offer them to your

College Professional Development Team to show college-wide

"Bomb Threat Response:”

New Training Program to Help Schools Deal with Bomb Threats

The Bomb Threat CD-ROM was developed by the U.S. Department of Justice's Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF)

and the U.S. Department of Education's (DOE) Office of Safe and Drug Free Schools.

The Bomb Threat CD-ROM is a FREE interactive planning tool for schools that included staff training presentation and implementation

resources.

ATF distributed the CD-ROM to State and local law enforcement and public safety agencies.

DOE Office of Safe and Drug Free Schools handled distribution to the country's public and private school systems.

Order one for your operation: http://www.threatplan.org/

Hazardous Materials

If your involved with it, do you have a written policy for handling & processing

it thru your operation?

Are you in compliance with the rules & regulations of USPS, DOT & OSHA?

Have you trained your employees?

Suggest you do it, an incident can have dramatic & costly results.

Hazardous Materials

If you deal with Common Carriers.

The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) is the federal agency responsible for regulating the carriage of hazardous materials within the United States via any mode of transportation (i.e., highway, rail, air, water).

The federal regulations of DOT are codified in Title 49 Code of Federal Regulations (49 CFR). 49 CFR contains DOT's detailed specifications for packaging, marking, and labeling hazardous materials.

Title 49 also exempts or establishes other requirements for limited quantities and small quantities of hazardous materials.

Many times different quantities of the same product may or may not be regulated for shipment. A quart may not be regulated, but a gallon container might be.

Hazardous Materials & the U S Postal Service

The carriage of U.S. Mail by the Postal Service is regulated by Title 39 Code of Federal Regulations

(39 CFR) and is not subject to the federal regulations

In 49 CFR as commercial carriers are.

Unlike the commercial carriers, the Postal Service is, however, subject to the restrictions in

Title 18 United States Code 1716 (18 U.S.C. 1716), which prohibits from mailing all matter that is outwardly or

of its own force dangerous to life, health, or property

Domestic Mail Manual C020–C024

Publication 52, Hazardous, Restricted and Perishable Mail

Accordingly, for legal and safety reasons, the postal mailing standards for hazardous materials in DMM C023 and Publication 52 not only closely adhere to 49 CFR, but also include many additional limitations and prohibitions.

In many instances, the postal standards are more restrictive than the requirements of other commercial carriers.

For example, 49 CFR allows commercial shippers to send flammable materials by air, but the Postal Service prohibits the mailing of all flammable materials via air transportation.

As a result, most hazardous materials are nonmailable.

HAZ-MAT TRAINING

One of the primary goals of training is the

Identification of Hazardous Materials Most errors occur, because an employee did not know it was

hazardous to begin with

Creating an awareness of HAZ-MAT issues and the need to do it right the first time.

Many times different quantities of the same product may or may not be regulated for shipment.

A quart may not be regulated, but a gallon container might be

Try to cover all of the possible scenarios and reinforce that it’s okay—even a job requirement—to ask questions

if they do not fully understand how a item is to be Safely & Securely handled

HAZ-MAT / MSDS

We have found that the best way to reduce possible exposure is to have your purchasing staff made aware

of the need to identify hazardous materials.

Then insure the proper Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) are in the hands of your

hazardous materials receiving person prior to the product arriving at your dock.

This requires your purchasing staff to ask about an MSDS for any new products being ordered

and the necessity for your vendor to get them to your operation in a timely manner.

DON’T RE-INVENT THE WHEEL!

HELP IS A CLICK AWAY

VISIT THIS OSHA SITE

http://www.osha.gov/SLTC/hazardcommunications/index.html

U.S. Department of LaborOccupational Safety and Health Administration

DRAFT MODEL TRAINING PROGRAM FORHAZARD COMMUNICATION

Workers Compensation Carrier State & Local Governmental Agencies

Public College or University contact your State Department of Workers Compensation or your

State Department of Labor & Industry

Private Institution contact your Workers Compensation Insurance Carrier

Or agencies of your State or Local Government

The following two slides are an example of the type of training available.

Workplace Violence:General Awareness Training

Jan Thomas, PhD, CSP

Circle Safety & Health Consultants Richmond, VA

“Fire Safety Awareness”and Fire Extinguisher Training

for Fairfax County DPWES Employees

This training module was developed in cooperation with the National Fire Protection Association and the Public Information and Life Safety Education Section of the

Fairfax County Fire & Rescue Department 4100 Chain Bridge Road, Fairfax, VA 22020www.co.fairfax.va.us/ps/fr/general/Piolse.htm(703) 246-3801 or (703-385-4419 TTY

Portions Copyright 1995-2000 by Dr. Robert Toreki, used by permissionhttp://www.ilpi.com/safety/extinguishers.html

Liabilities

Do Not Assume Anything - Be Pro-Active

You can not prevent every incident, BUT… You can limit the Liabilities…

Personal Injuries & lives, Property Damage,Destruction, Theft, & the list goes on & on….

Think about the Dollars & or Bad Publicity it could cost your

College or University & possibly yourself.

OFFICIAL BUSINESS MAIL

We handle & process it both Inbound & Outbound.

In addition to the USPS & College/University Rules & Regulations we operate under.

There is a Federal Law that mandates Security

It is the

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) (20 U.S.C. § 1232g; 34 CFR Part 99)

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) (20 U.S.C. § 1232g; 34 CFR Part 99)

FERPAis a Federal law that protects the privacy

of student education records.

The law applies to all schools that receive funds under an applicable program of the

U.S. Department of Education.

FERPAWhat does it cover?

Just about anything that pertains

to the student

Financial Aid Info

Grades

Personal Information

Transcripts

Other types of Official Business

To name a few:

Administrative Correspondence

Fiscal Items & Checks

Human Resource Correspondence

Procurement Contracts

Purchase Orders

General Business Mail

Generic Addressed MailInbound – First Class or EMS

Do You have a written Policy & Procedure for handling & processing these items?

Who has the authority to open & process this type of Mail?

If you process it in your operation do you have a ID stamp to show who processed it.

UAA MAIL

Undeliverable As Addressed MailDo you have a written policy?

1st Class – Former Faculty or StaffForward to the division office or Return to Sender

Bulk Mail – Recycle Or consider joining a group such as

Ecological Mail Coalition - http://www.ecologicalmail.org/Intra-Mail Network, Inc. – http://www.intra-mail.com

STUDENT MAIL

If your operation is responsible

Treat it the same as Official Business Mail

Your not responsible for Student Mail?

That’s the responsibility of:

Residential or Housing Department.

Think Again!

If there is a problem WHO will get the phone call?

The Irate Parent will call and ask for the Campus Post Office or Mail Service now the ball is in your court.

STUDENT MAIL

If Student Mail is not your responsibility consider offering or obtaining training for those that

handle it

Outsiders do not know your internal operations, mail service is mail service to them

Any problem with any mail delivery reflects on the C&U as a whole and indirectly on

your Mail Operation

US POSTAL INSPECTION SERVICE

Inspectors in the News 1/7/2004

Former U of XX student charged with stealing 700 classmates' credit

(AP) -- A former University of XX criminal justice major is going to federal prison for more than three years for stealing credit and mail from more than 700 classmates.

Court records show the thefts started in 1999 when (The Person),

who is now 23, took a job as a mailroom clerk at an off-campus dorm The thefts lasted until August 2002.

Postal inspectors say (The Person) routinely stole student mail containing new credit cards.

Then waited ten to 12 days to steal follow-up letters containing the activation codes.

Bulk & Unsolicited Mail

Do you have a written policy?

Properly address Mail is processed

Improper addressed 1st Class is Returned

Improper Addressed Bulk Mail is recycled

Are you recycling properly?

Security & Incident Scene Photography

In addition to closed circuit TV or video monitoring

Consider a digital camera as a necessary tool

To assist in criminal & injury claims cases

To help protect your institution and yourself against

False claims, potential fraud and to limit your liability,

A picture is worth a 1000 words!(BUT…Make sure the correct date is set on it prior to snapping the picture)

Food For Thought

Think of Cell Phones as a security issue.

They can be turned on during a meeting and transmit Verbal Information or

Your Comments to a remote location.

Also a Photo Phone can transmit photos of Attendees, Presentations & Items of a

Confidential nature to a remote location.

Food For Thought

Remember When dealing with people

Any incident or issue be it large or small can become a

SECURITY or SAFETY CONCERNThink of:

PERSONAL ATTITUDEHORSE PLAY ROAD RAGE

And so on & so forth….If it impacts your operation, it’s a concern

College &University Mail Services are UNIQUE

What works for me might not work for you.

The same holds true in reverse.

But we have several things on our side that most other mailing industries do not have.

NACUMS

Our Seven (7) Regional Associations

& last but not least - CUNI-MAILWhen it comes to Security, Safety & other issues; the

only foolish question is the one that is not asked.