TAMPA, Fla. — Employees are to return to work at the Timberlake Federal Annex Building in downtown Tampa after officials say a "suspicious substance" was found inside and removed.
The Tampa Police Department Bomb Squad and the Tampa Fire Hazmat Team were dispatched around 12:30 p.m. Tuesday to the government office building, which is located on East Polk Street near North Morgan Street.
According to fire officials, the substance in question is a powder that was sent to the federal building in a baggy inside of an envelope. The substance is being sent to a lab for testing for identification.
First responders say five people were in close proximity to the substance when it was discovered, but it does not appear that it got on any of them.
As of 2 p.m., none of them were showing any symptoms of anything wrong. All five individuals are being closely monitored as a precaution.
One floor of the 12-story building was evacuated while employees on the other 11 floors were told to shelter in place as the substance was retrieved. Fire officials say all restrictions have been lifted and building operations will resume as normal.
The FBI has been contacted and will become the lead agency investigating the situation.
