Illegal Drug Laboratories: A Growing Haz-Mat Problem
During the past two years the incidence of illegal drug laboratory finds and fires has increased alarmingly. The number of injured fire fighters and EMTs is also increasing. This trend signals new requirements for the safe response to clandestine laboratory emergencies.
A clandestine drug laboratory may be found almost anywhere, from an urban area to an abandoned barn in the country. It may produce methamphetamine, methamphetamine sulfateor phencyclidine, better known as PCP. It may be constructed in a kitchen, garage, bathroom or even in a mobile home. Wherever it is found, it is likely to be dangerous.
Usually, there is little activity around a laboratory to indicate its existence, although chemical deliveries may appear unusually high and chemical discards may be noticeable. Many chemicals have been dumped. The primary utensils for concocting drugs continue to be 5-gallon cans, 5-gallon glass water containers and on occasion, sophisticated beakers and tubing.
Elaborate ventilation equipment may be present, usually to dissipate the odor of ether and ether byproducts. Windows and doors may also be secured and taped around jambs to prevent the pungent odor from being detected.
Should these indicators become apparent to emergency service personnel, an immediate notification is in order. The clandestine lab response plan should encompass all of the following areas:
- A multijurisdictional “call out” is necessary. Deployment tactics between fire and police agencies should be planned and well-rehearsed.
- Immediate evacuation should be begun due to extreme fire danger and the possibility of explosion.
- Proper entry safeguards should be adhered to, such as the wearing of SCBA by all on-site personnel. Many unstable chemicals can be absorbed into the skin, especially the street drug PCP, so nonabsorbing gloves should be worn.
- A chemist should be part of the response team. One of the inherent dangers of many labs is that when certain chemicals are accidently mixed they produce lethal substances. Hydrochloric acid and sodium cyanide, for example, create deadly cyanide gas. Both chemicals are found in PCP labs.
- Under no circumstances should power be turned on or off while emergency personnel are nearby or in the lab. Explosion is very possible and some labs are boobytrapped.
- Do not smell, taste, touch or inhale chemicals or any finished product in a lab.
- Should you find material in a bath tub packed in ice or stored in a refrigerator, use extreme caution in seizing and transporting the material. Often the mixture is undergoing the cooling process, and is highly explosive at this stage.
- Neutralize all clothing and footwear with soap and water after entering the lab. Also neutralize and clean hose, hand tools and possibly building exteriors and grounds.
- If emergency personnel experience nausea, headache, dizziness or impaired vision, go directly to a hospital. As a precaution, prior contact with a hospital is advised to alert them of possible contamination and other health hazards.
Clandestine labs pose a severe risk to the community at large and emergency personnel in particular. Don’t fail to execute safety measures and discretion. Routine weed abatement, hydrant checks and fire inspections could uncover a clandestine drug laboratory at any time.
