G-CLAN Clandestine Drug Labs Part 1

Purpose and Responsibility

• The purpose of this guideline is to provide Toronto Fire Services personnel with a guideline for responding to and safely mitigating emergency incidents at clandestine drug laboratories (clan labs).
• All personnel are responsible for understanding and following proper guidelines at a clan lab incident to ensure the health, safety, and welfare of personnel.
• Company Officers are responsible for ensuring their personnel follow established guidelines for responses to clan labs.
• The Incident Commander is responsible for following guidelines at a clan lab incident to ensure the health, safety, and welfare of personnel and for making all necessary notifications and ensuring all reports and documentation are completed and forwarded.

Background

• The number of clan labs has increased significantly in recent years.
• Clan labs require cooperation and sometimes assistance from TFS when dealing with the Toronto Police Service (TPS) Major Drug Unit and Forensic Identification Unit.

Risk Assessment

• Entry into a clan lab is high risk and shall only be made to conduct a known rescue of human life.
• Under fire conditions with no life hazard, prevent extension and exposure damage but do not enter the hazard area.
• Caution should be exercised as wearing PPE with SCBA may not completely protect personnel from exposure at clan labs.
• The Incident Commander should consider a defensive mode of attack as appropriate to protect personnel from unknown chemical exposure, explosion, and rapid fire advance.

General Information

• Clan labs can be defined as hidden, makeshift, chemical laboratories where dangerous chemicals are stored and used in the manufacture of illegal drugs.
• Clan labs can be located anywhere (houses, campers, boats, vans, warehouses, etc.) and may be fixed, mobile, or transportable.
• Clues that may indicate the presence of a clan lab include blacked-out windows, expensive security systems, metal drums and boxes with labels removed, chemical containers, strong pungent odors, laboratory glassware equipment, heating plates, and makeshift ventilation pipes.

Hazards

• Clan labs pose serious hazards to emergency response personnel and may also endanger residents in the community or contaminate the environment due to the lack of safety control systems, ventilation systems, and knowledge of the clan lab operators.
• Unknown and hazardous chemicals that may be present include common household chemicals, explosives, toxins, radioactive materials, and byproducts of drug production such as deadly phosgene gas.
• The use of water during fire suppression activities may cause a violent explosion or the release of toxic gases.
• Turning on electrical appliances can trigger an explosion.
• Operators of clan labs may not always be familiar with the flammability and reactivity of some chemicals.
• Clan labs may be protected with defense systems or "booby-traps" to deter unwanted visitors, which can cause personal injury or create a life-threatening situation.
• IT IS IMPERATIVE THAT NOTHING IS MOVED, SHUT OFF, TURNED ON, OR TOUCHED AT A LABORATORY, WHETHER IT IS OPERATIONAL OR ABANDONED.