Pubdate: Sun, 24 Sep 2006 Source: Prince Albert Daily Herald (CN SN) Copyright: 2006 Prince Albert Daily Herald Contact: http://www.paherald.sk.ca/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1918 Author: Timothy Schafer, Herald Staff INVESTIGATING METH LABS Methamphetamine Addiction Can Kill. So too can the meth labs when the volatile chemicals used in the drug's production combust. A burned-out lab is considered a hazardous materials site, with phosphine gas fumes in sufficient quantities to kill a firefighter within minutes. It is with that understanding that a one-day International Association of Arson Investigators clinic on identifying burned-out meth labs was conducted in Prince Albert with 40 participants from the firefighting, insurance, gas company and law enforcement industries. Held at Prince Albert airport and Cuelenaere Public Library, the course is considered invaluable for investigators of all sorts, said Rick Watson, IAAI president, considering the growing prevalence of meth labs in the province. "Meth is here and it's not going to go away. It's highly lucrative to make this and it is highly addictive. We need to be proactive in identifying how to deal with this." Watson said fire crews could inadvertently put out a fire, assuming what they were extinguishing was a regular fire and not a meth lab. Doing so would mean the firefighters or fire investigators would not have taken the necessary precautions such as wearing oxygen masks. After a fire, things in a lab look a lot different, said Watson, and it may not be as obvious to identify one. Participants in the clinic were taught how to identify a lab that had been burned, looking for rubber tubing, propane tanks, empty glass containers, camp cooking units or plastic containers. Another difficult aspect of identifying a lab is the versatility of the process in making the drug, said Steve Bauer, a retired special agent from the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives in California. He had been dealing with meth labs for more than 20 of the 34 years of law enforcement he served before retiring in July. What happened in California 20 years ago is now reaching Saskatchewan and the lessons learned are being shared. "If they see any of those things, or a combination of those things, they are likely dealing with a lab," he said. "It's the totality of these circumstances where you have to say, aECould this be a lab?' If it could be a lab then what precautions could be taken? "A clandestine crystal meth lab is a (hazardous materials) site and it has to be treated that way." Four out of five meth labs are discovered either by fire or explosion, said Watson. This means recognition of the presence of a lab is very important to first responders. A morning of classroom work was supplemented by an afternoon where some of the materials found in a meth lab were burned, showing the 40 participants signs of what to look for. A slide presentation gave people a sense of what some of the potential products were in making the drug and what potential hazards came with those materials. Meth is manufactured using all chemicals, meaning its waste by-products are also all chemical. No chemicals were used when some lab equipment for the afternoon exercise were burned. The facilitators used rock salt to simulate crystal meth and a gasoline and oil mixture ignited the "lab." Prince Albert firefighters were present to contain and extinguish the fire, giving participants a look at a burned-out lab. - --- MAP posted-by: Elaine