RCMP teach Windsor's first responders about drug labs during workshop
Ability to identify meth and fentanyl labs becoming more necessary, say RCMP
Firefighters and paramedics in Windsor and Essex County are increasingly encountering drug labs on the job, according to the RCMP.
The national police service held a 'Synthetic Drug Awareness Workshop' in Windsor Monday and talked area first responders through what they should do if they find a crystal meth or fentanyl production lab while responding to a 911 call.
"What do you do when you walk into something unbeknownst to yourself, it's a drug lab? Get out," said Sgt. Brent Hill. "They don't have necessary personal protective equipment to be safe, and they're no good to the public if they cannot deal with that immediate threat."
Drug labs can be found in a variety of locations including hotels, homes, cars and camping trailers, according to Hill and can be difficult to quickly identify.
"It could be something (like) a smell of a chemical, and a sweet smell, a smell of an acetone, or a solvent, or perhaps, the reaction right there in front of them," he explained.