911 fuel supply tampering investigation continues, prompts extra security measures (update)
Update: An official from the Indiana State Fire Marshal’s office, officers from the Indiana State Police and Dubois County Sheriff Department continued the investigation into the suspicious item that was removed from the fuel tank. The initial results have been negative for any type of explosive substance. The purpose of the item is still undetermined and the investigation is ongoing.
Jasper— An unidentified package found lodged in the fuel supply for the backup generator for the county 9-1-1 Emergency Call Center is still disconcerting to local law enforcement.
“Whoever put that in there took a chance of being seen,” Sheriff Donny Lampert said today. “It was deliberate. They had to unscrew an access panel to put it in place.”
Cameras at the facility point into the parking lot but the fuel tanks, located on the northeast edge of the employee parking lot, are outside of their viewing range and without lighting at night.
Lampert and 9-1-1 director Janice Love spoke to county commissioners Monday morning about adding security to the facility located on St. Charles Street. Lampert recommended adding a bulletproof door and glass to the call center access from the foyer.
Love requested better lighting be placed in the parking lot. “We have employees, females and males, leaving at midnight,” Love explained. “It is dark out there. It would be easy for an angry person to grab someone.”
Love also requested permission to remove the sign identifying the call center and create another sign to identify the employee parking area on the north side of the building. “I have always been concerned with the center being identified with that sign on the street.” she explained.
Lampert echoed the sentiment, stating it wasn’t necessary for the public to know the location of the call center.
The commissioners directed Love and Lampert to explore costs associated with the door, glass and lighting upgrades. The county highway department will remove the sign and see if it can be repainted as a sign for the employee parking.
A representative from the state fire marshal’s office was on hand today to examine the object found stuffed in an exhaust line to the runover fuel tank. According to Lampert, the marshal also planned on inspecting the tank with a camera to determine if any other tampering had occurred.
The department opened an investigation last Thursday after being contacted about a suspicious item lodged in the fuel supply of the emergency power generator for the center. The item was found while preventative maintenance was being conducted on the generator that is used to power the facility during outages.
According to authorities, there was no damage to the generator or fuel supply and it is unknown at this time what the purpose of the item — described as plastic and distorted during its removal — was or who placed it there.
Anyone with information regarding the case is asked to contact the Dubois County Sheriff’s Department at 482-3522. All callers can remain anonymous.
