CAROL STREAM IL — The U.S. Postal Service, in cooperation with local first responders and public health officials, will conduct an evacuation drill and Biohazard Detection System response exercise as part of its ongoing efforts to safeguard communities, employees and test its emergency preparedness plans.

The response exercise will begin at 4:00 p.m. on Tuesday, August 7th at the Carol Stream Processing and Distribution Center located at 500 E. Fullerton Avenue in Carol Stream, IL and at the Fox Valley Processing and Distribution Center located at 3900 Gabrielle Lane, Aurora, IL. The exercise will include participation from the Carol Stream Police Department, Glendale Heights Police Department, Carol Stream Fire Protection District, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, DuPage County Health Department, Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Management, American Red Cross of Greater Chicago, FBI and Suburban PACE Bus company.

The facility and property at both Carol Stream and Aurora will not be accessible from 4-5 PM. During the evacuation the Carol Stream Post Office (located at the same address as the Carol Stream P&DC) will be closed from 4:00 p.m. to 4:45 p.m. Customers needing retail services during the evacuation are directed to go to the Glendale Heights Post Office located at 1950 Bentley Court, Glendale Heights, IL.

The exercise is only a precaution. There is no evidence of any new anthrax-contaminated letters in the mail.

For information concerning the Fox Valley Processing and Distribution Center drill please contact Jose Aguilar at 708-563-7783.

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An independent federal agency, the U.S. Postal Service is the only delivery service that visits every address in the nation, 146 million homes and businesses, six days a week. It has 37,000 retail locations and relies on the sale of postage, products and services to pay for operating expenses, not tax dollars. The Postal Service has annual revenues of $73 billion and delivers nearly half the world’s mail.