EMERGENCY TEAMS ACTING OUT ON DRUG LAB DVD

A new DVD will help first responders in Vancouver and around the
province identify potentially dangerous illegal drug labs.

The 10-minute DVD features RCMP and Vancouver police officers,
firefighters and paramedics in staged scenarios involving a typical
in-home clandestine drug lab.

Since 2003, police in B.C. have discovered and dismantled over 80
clandestine drug labs-producing synthetic drugs such as
methamphetamine and ecstasy-in houses, apartments, barns, commercial
properties and vehicles.

Drug labs-filled with corrosive, highly toxic, flammable chemicals
that can cause severe injury and death-are often discovered by
firefighters or police officers responding to noxious odor or fire
calls, or other unrelated disturbances.

"In many instances, theses labs are discovered inadvertently," said
Corp. Steve Stark, clandestine lab response coordinator for the RCMP
and a co-producer of the DVD. "There are indictors and warning signs
that can be picked up that could potentially protect first responders
from being exposed."

Stark said the popular method of methamphetamine production in B.C.
involves red phosphorous, a chemical capable of producing lethal
phosphine gas that in very low concentrations can cause respiratory
failure and death. He added that police officers typically do not
carry protective suits or respirators.

"The operators of these labs are generally not trained chemists, so
they don't care about safety, storage or labelling of chemicals," he
said, noting that labs may also be booby-trapped. "They are extremely
dangerous and we've got a lot of unknown factors. If you're not
trained you can't be anywhere near this stuff because it can go wrong
so quickly."

Stark would not speculate on the number of illegal drug labs in
Vancouver but warned the number is on the rise.

"They seem to be on the increase in terms of frequency of discovery,"
he said. "But Vancouver hasn't been hit as hard as some of the
outlying areas like Maple Ridge, Richmond, Burnaby and Surrey."

Although there have been no recent incidents of local first responders
being injured by illegal drug labs, there have been several close
calls. "We've had instances with very volatile or dangerous conditions
at the onset of the lab incident, and we've had to respond with very
specialized equipment and a lot of care and caution."

Stark said first responders must also be aware of potential dangers
involved with marijuana grow operations. "These guys use nasty
pesticides and all kinds of stuff you don't want to be breathing in or
get it on your skin."

One thousand copies of the DVD will be distributed to police
detachments, fire halls and ambulance stations around the province.
The video will not be released to the general public.