Mock meth lab raid trains students, emergency responders

The call came in from dispatch shortly after nightfall Wednesday, Nov. 10, of a possible clandestine meth lab at the former Wilson’s Grocery in the Savannah community.

Savannah Volunteer fire fighters, first on the scene, understood it was just a drill but responded quickly in full gear and apparatus at the site across from High Country Tire on U.S. 441.

Normally State Bureau of Investigation agents and officers from the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office would be called in first but the simulation was intended to test the response of other emergency personnel. When dispatch reported smoke coming from the abandoned building, fire fighters heeded the call and were met by a frantic young woman reporting that “something went wrong with the meth operation inside.”

Katelyn Speed, second-year student in Southwestern Community College’s EMS program, helped plan the mass casualty incident drill.

“I thought a meth lab would be a good simulation since these clandestine labs are a growing problem in Jackson County,” said Speed. “We came up with the scenario to help all emergency personnel become more aware of the danger these labs can pose in our rural neighborhoods.”

The Southwestern students designed a two-scene operation with scene one being the mock meth lab and scene two being a two-vehicle accident on U.S. 441 near the Savannah Volunteer Fire Department resulting from a person fleeing scene one with a mobile meth lab in the trunck of the car.

“Emergency personnel had poisonous fumes from the meth lab and hazardous material at the wreck to deal with,” said first-year EMS student Candice Peters acting as a patient suffering critical trauma and burns to the face. Three patients had to be extricated from vehicles by the Jackson County Unit 1 Rescue Squad. Everyone at the wreck scene had to go through decontamination provided by Cherokee Tribal EMS State Medical Assistance Team. Also assisting were Mike Ensley, Jackson County emergency management coordinator, and Todd Dillard, county fire marshal. Once the patients were decontaminated, they were transported to Harris Regional Hospital Emergency Room by WestCare and Western Carolina University EMS.

“The drill was designed to assist Jackson County emergency response agencies in an awareness and preparation for future actual situations involving neighborhood and mobile meth labs,” said Southwestern’s EMS instructor Eric Hester. “In addition, the drill allows for EMS students to get a closer look at how emergency operations work. It helps prepare them for future careers in the emergency medical field.”

Members of the SBI and the Sheriff’s office also participated in the drill. Along with Speed, second-year students involved were Kim Anthony, Phillip Baker, Emerald Booth, Trevor Gibson, Tom Hooks, Troy Jenkins and Ned Welch. Joining Peters as patients were first-year students Ashley Allen, Valerie Beck, Ute Dorflinger, Tommy Hatcher, Lori Huckabee, Erin Taylor and Sherry Walker.

At the conclusion of the drill, each agency met at the Savannah Volunteer Fire Department for debriefing of the event.

See more photos of the mock meth lab raid

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