MESSENGER SERVICES

The Messenger Service is an organizational unit of the Purchasing Department.

The mission of the Alameda County Messenger Service is to provide cost-effective, accurate, and timely distribution of inter-departmental mail and materials for County departments and a limited number of special districts and external organizations that work directly with Alameda County. Our goals include: convenient service for our customer base; accurate, timely delivery; a courteous, professional manner.

Headquarters for the Alameda County Messenger Service is the Central Mail Room in the County Administration Building, 1221 Oak Street, Oakland, Ca. Several thousand pieces of mail and internal correspondence are routed through the mailroom daily. Messenger vans are dispatched from this location to nearly 200 locations in Alameda County's 738 square mile land area.

The majority of these routes are scheduled between 7:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m., daily. Two special routes begin at 5:30 and 6:30 a.m., on each work day. Messenger routes are designed so that mail will reach its destination the next working day.

The Messenger Service can transport special items or materials on a scheduled or as needed basis, based on a written request to the Messenger Supervisor. Examples of some of these special items are: locked valises, laboratory samples in hard containers, data processing output, and boxed records not to exceed two boxes at any one time.

Money and personal effects of value, drugs, firearms, ammunition, flammable materials, toxic laboratory supplies, and all other hazardous materials that require special handling are not sent via the Messenger Service. Arrangements for transportation of these types of materials are made by sending a requisition to the Purchasing Department for services of an appropriate contract transport company.

The Messenger Service will transport only materials and written communication directly related to the operations of Alameda County. Items of a personal nature or related to a non-County function are not sent through the Messenger Service.

An address coding system, commonly known as "QIC" (Quick Intra-County), and several sizes of standardized mailing envelopes are used to facilitate accuracy and volume handling capabilities.

For more information contact:
Messenger Supervisor
Room 23
1221 Oak Street
Oakland, Ca 94612-4222
Telephone Number: 510-272-6204