Hazardous Materials Incidents
by Chris Hawley
CHAPTER 8: HAZMAT and Law Enforcement
Chapter 8: Overview
• Introduction
• Common HAZMAT incidents for law
enforcement
• Clandestine labs
• Explosives incidents
• SWAT operations
• Evidence collection
• Summary
Author Note
• Even though this section is labeled law
enforcement, it applies to all emergency
responders.
• This unit should be taught to all
responders as the situations discussed
here are crimes, but usually involve the
other response agencies.
Common Situations
for Chemical Exposure
• Blood-borne pathogen
situations
– Shootings, stabbings
– Blood, saliva, and urine
– Disease exposure
• Drugs
– Exposure to drugs (evidence)
– Huffing situations
Clandestine Labs
• Common types of labs
– Drug labs
– Explosives labs
– Chemical weapon labs
– Biological weapon labs
• All labs have inherent dangers, not to
mention the two-legged threat.
Drug Labs
• Drug labs can be found anywhere.
– Homes, hotels, storage units
– Rental trucks, barns, buildings
• Methamphetamine is the most common.
– In 2002, more than 12,175 labs were raided.
• Meth labs and other drug labs are very
dangerous operations.
Labs Moving Eastward
Explosives Labs
• Not common
• Usually a hobbyist
– Fireworks
• Bomb squad should always investigate
– Retreat and wait for bomb technician
Terrorism Agent Labs
• Least likely to be encountered
– Most probable would be a biological toxin
• Ricin lab or manufacturing
Chemical Agent Labs
• Chemical agent labs
– Chemistry setup
• Two types
– Manufacturing
– Condensing
Biological Agents Labs
• Biology lab equipment
– Petri dishes
– Incubator
Explosives Incidents
• Are much like HAZMAT incidents
– Require special PPE
– Require isolation and evacuation
– Require special training and equipment
SWAT Operations
• Gathering of intelligence
is very important.
– Chemical information
valuable.
– Greatest threat from gun
shots
• Chemical threat
– Adds to the planning
process
– May add additional PPE
– Adds decontamination
considerations
Chemicals and SWAT
• SWAT operators should not get off target
thinking about the chemical risk.
– Focus should be on apprehending the criminal.
• Training with specialized equipment is very
important.
• Protective equipment should protect against
primary hazard.
SWAT Setup
• Air monitors should be
used.
• Avoid breaching
charges or flash bangs
in potentially flammable
situations.
• SWAT operator and
prisoner decon should
be thought out and
prepared.
Evidence Collection (1 of 2)
• Evidence collection is not
time-dependent and can
often wait.
• Remove the hazard from
the crime scene.
• Everyone operating in the
crime scene must have
HAZMAT training.
Evidence Collection (2 of 2)
• Chain of custody issues with HAZMAT
– Decontamination
• Evidence collection a specialized field
– Rules of evidence apply
– Special equipment required
• May need additional personnel
Summary
• Common HAZMAT incidents for law
enforcement
• Clandestine labs
• Explosives incidents
• SWAT operations
• Evidence collection