Mission-Specific Competencies: Response to

Illicit Laboratories

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Objectives (1 of 4)

• Understand the role that all first responders have when encountering an illicit laboratory

• Describe how to recognize an illicit laboratory

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Objectives (2 of 4)

• Identify the manufacturing process and common chemical hazards associated with methamphetamine production

• Identify the different law enforcement agencies that could be involved in an investigation of an illicit laboratory

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Objectives (3 of 4)

• Understand the tactical considerations of securing an illicit laboratory while utilizing joint hazardous materials and explosive ordnance disposal (EOD) personnel to assess potential hazards

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Objectives (4 of 4)

• Describe the key concepts to be taken into consideration when analyzing, planning, and implementing a response to an incident involving an illicit laboratory

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Illicit Laboratories

• Unlicensed or illegal

• Can be in building or vehicle

• Manufacture, process, culture, synthesize– Illegal drugs– Hazardous material/WMD devices– Chemical or biological agents

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Identifying Illicit Laboratories (1 of 3)

• Methamphetamine production common

• Materials often illegally obtained– Tip off police about possible location– But sometimes first discovered by responders

• Drug laboratories often run by drug users– Use caution with these individuals

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Identifying Illicit Laboratories (2 of 3)

• Basements with unusual or multiple vents

• Buildings with heavy security

• Windows obscured

• Odd or unusual odors

• Motor homes are sometimes used

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Identifying Illicit Laboratories (3 of 3)

Motor homes are often used as mobile cooking laboratories.

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Drug Laboratories (1 of 2)

• Typically very primitive

• Everyday cookware among items used

• Many hazards present

• Little caution exercised by operators

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Drug Laboratories (2 of 2)

Materials used to manufacture drugs include items such as laboratory glassware and tubing.

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Methamphetamine (1 of 4)

• Can be produced by various methods

• Chemicals used also have legitimate uses

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Methamphetamine (2 of 4)

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Methamphetamine (3 of 4)

• Ephedrine and pseudoephedrine tablets often present

• Ground in household blenders

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Methamphetamine (4 of 4)

Ephedrine and pseudoephedrine, available at many pharmacies, are ground in household blenders as the

first step in methamphetamine production.

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Weapons of Mass Destruction Laboratories (1 of 3)

• Indicators– Terrorist training manuals– Ideological propaganda– Surveillance materials– Weapon supplies

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Weapons of Mass Destruction Laboratories (2 of 3)

Detonating cords may look like rescue rope to an uninformed responder.

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Weapons of Mass Destruction Laboratories (3 of 3)

• Explosive materials present may be dangerous– Notify explosive ordnance disposal (EOD)

personnel

• Operators of laboratory are also dangerous

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Chemical Laboratories (1 of 2)

• Can manufacture chemical warfare agents– Sulfur mustard– Blood agents such as cyanide– Choking agents such as chlorine

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Chemical Laboratories (2 of 2)

• Legitimate or improvised laboratory equipment

• Extremely dangerous chemicals– Precursor agents– Finished agents

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Biological Laboratories

• Bacterial agents (such as anthrax)

• Fungal agents

• Viral agents (such as Ebola)

• Toxins (such as ricin or botulinum)

• Just as dangerous as chemical laboratories

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Tasks and Operations (1 of 2)

• WMD laboratories rare, but present, in U.S.

• Illicit drug laboratories common

• Mines may protect perimeter

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Tasks and Operations (2 of 2)

Mines have been used to provide perimeter defense around the outside of laboratories.

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Notifying Authorities

• When laboratory is identified– Establish perimeter– Notify local law enforcement agency

• Joint agencies may be involved

• Secure and preserve the scene

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Determining Response Options

• Do not delay – Life-saving operations– Fire suppression

• When scene stabilizes, consider response actions to be taken next

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Securing and Preserving the Scene

• Minimize number of responders allowed into the illicit laboratory

• Confinement/containment of toxic waste

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Documenting Scene Activities

• IC (or designee) should identify every– Responder– Victim– Witness

• Photos, sketches, notes

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Personal Protective Equipment

• Responders should wear appropriate PPE

• Selection based on:– Detection and sampling results– Indicators observed on scene

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Detection Devices (1 of 2)

• Police rarely equipped with these

• Potentially flammable atmosphere dangerous with muzzle blast

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Detection Devices (2 of 2)

• Devices – Oxygen monitoring device– Combustible gas indicator– Radiation detection device– pH paper– Photo-ionization detector (PID)

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Decontamination

• Areas and equipment established before responder entry

• Suspects, too, will need decontamination

• Also SWAT, EOD, forensic, canine teams

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Remediation Efforts

• Management of illicit lab may be long term

• Evidence collection can take time

• Remediation may involve technical decontamination

• May include removal of a structure or soil

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Summary (1 of 2)

• The need for life-saving and fire suppression should be weighed against hazards posed to responders by illicit laboratories

• Illicit laboratories can involve a variety of processing methods

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• Materials and operators pose hazard to responders

• Early identification of hazards is important• Evidence should be preserved• Coordination, documentation, and

decontamination are important

Summary (2 of 2)

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