Evanston fire and police personnel called for a hazardous materials response and briefly closed down a street mid-morning Friday after a resident at a center for the chronically mentally ill fell into a state of distress, according to an Evanston Police Department news release.
First responders arrived at Greenwood Care, 1406 Chicago Ave., Evanston, around 10 a.m. and found the female resident “conscious but with altered mental status,” according to the release. They took her to the hospital and then, at 10:12 a.m., requested a hazardous materials response after finding in the resident’s room a substance described as suspicious. Fire Department personnel isolated the substance found in her room, as well as in a fanny pack, and the news release said they determined it did not pose a threat to the public.
Evidence technicians collected the substance to be sent to the Illinois State Police Crime Lab for narcotics analysis, according to the statement.
“The hazardous material has not been determined,” said Jessie Mayo, a spokesperson for the City of Evanston, adding authorities sent off the substance for testing. She described the event as an isolated incident.
“They followed all the proper protocols, so they just wanted to be extra cautious,” she noted.
The Evanston Police Department said it led the response, with support from the Evanston Fire Department, regional hazardous materials teams, and other partner agencies.
As part of the response, police closed Chicago Avenue between Dempster Street and Lake Street for a time.
Greenwood Care’s website describes it as an intermediate care facility with 145 beds for the chronically mentally ill.
