First responders concerned about safety at meth lab scenes

By Ed Ernstes (ernstes@wsbt.com)

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Elkhart police and fire personnel are working together to address safety procedures for first responders at methamphetamine labs. (WSBT photo)

By Beth Boehne

Story Created: Nov 20, 2008 at 3:59 PM EST

Story Updated: Nov 24, 2008 at 12:01 PM EST

ELKHART — First responders are trying to improve safety when they roll up on drug scenes. Police are busting more meth labs and are working with firefighters to develop a plan. They want to make sure safety is at the top of everyone's list.

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“We've seen a big increase of meth labs in the city,” said Elkhart Police Lt. Ed Windbigler.

The labs are now turning up within the city limits at an increased rate. One of the most recent cases involved one found in an apartment unit last month. It caught on fire and exploded, injuring two people. Another was found in the upstairs of a vacant home off of S. Shore Drive in Elkhart.

“There's a lot to deal with when you’re dealing with meth labs, and you can't just walk up and walk into one without knowing what you’re doing,” Windbigler explained.

The increase of meth labs found in the city has also caught the attention of the Elkhart Fire Department. It is now working to develop new strategies to deal with this growing dangerous problem within the city limits.

The fire department is training with the police department on safety measures to deal with labs early on.

“We're seeing them in vacant homes, hotel rooms, and they're doing them in the basements of their own homes, with children in the house,” said Elkhart Fire Department Investigator Kent Stouder. “So it is like a time bomb waiting to go off.”

Police say the first line of defense in dealing with more labs is citizen involvement.

“If you live next to a vacant house or in a neighborhood where a vacant house is and you think somebody is using it for something illegal, just call us and have us check it,” Windbigler said.

“There are so many places that they're doing it, that you're just going to have to pay attention,” Stouder added.

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