How does an agency prepare officers who encounter methamphetamine labs?
• Agencies need to set up procedures and train officers to develop a mind-set that they “will” encounter a methamphetamine lab by running them through various “what if” scenarios. Officers need to practice how they will react in different situations. An example would be, “I’m on patrol at 3:00 a.m. and perform a car stop. I smell suspicious odors coming from a container in the car. What is my first reaction?
Agencies need to set up procedures and train officers to develop a mind-set that they “will” encounter a methamphetamine lab by running them through various “what if” scenarios. Officers need to practice how they will react in different situations. An example would be, “I’m on patrol at 3:00 a.m. and perform a car stop. I smell suspicious odors coming from a container in the car. What is my first reaction? How am I going to handle this situation?” • Do agencies other than law enforcement encounter methamphetamine labs? If so, how can they be protected against contamination? Yes, other agencies do come in contact, unwittingly, with methamphetamine labs. For example, child protection agencies that visit homes where methamphetamine is produced and fire departments that respond to fires caused by methamphetamine-producing chemicals both come in contact with these labs. Sanitation workers may also come into contact with chemicals or waste from a methamphetamine lab. It is recommended that l
