A somewhat common emergency situation that today’s EMS responders have to deal with is an exploded illegal methamphetamine lab in someone’s garage or basement, easily identifiable by its specific aroma and the smoking wreckage. This can potentially be a dangerous situation for the paramedics, and EMSresponder.com has some comprehensive advice for those responding to the problem.
From the article:
So here you are, with three victims with undetermined injuries and a situation that is one of the most hazardous EMS personnel will ever face. What do you do? Slow down, fully assess the situation, and then back off. This is not a normal scene. You are not equipped to enter this scene.1 Wait till police and firefighters arrive and apprise them of the situation. If fire and hazmat have not been notified, contact them. Your charge is to save lives, and in this case that means your own. The meth lab is more dangerous than any legal laboratory or chemical manufacturing plant. A legitimate production operation will have safety equipment and procedures, fire-suppression measures, appropriate ventilation and chemical-handling equipment in place. In contrast, an illegal lab will have no safety procedures or equipment, nor likely much concern for safety. Ventilation will be minimal, and chemical handling will be haphazard. Open fires, exposed electrical wires, broken glass and other hazards may be present.
Read the rest of the article at EMSresponder.com…