Governor's meth initiative means changes for fire departments

A new methamphetamine initiative announced by Gov. Bob Holden on Tuesday will allow firefighters who dispose of meth to join forces with law enforcement officers to educate the public about the dangers of the drug and the chemicals that go along with it, Jackson fire chief Brad Golden said.

"We'll have some input and we'll have a way to be involved in the education of the public a bit more," he said. "And we'll have more opportunities to work with healthcare providers for those who are addicted."

On Tuesday, Golden represented the state's 21 meth lab collection stations and read part of the executive order, introducing the measure to the public at a news conference. He also spoke to legislators to encourage them to extend a hazardous waste bill that requires hazardous waste haulers and manufactures to pay a fee, which goes to help clean up hazardous material spills.

Holden's initiative created a Missouri Methamphetamine Enforcement and Environmental Protection Task Force, a volunteer board that will combine local, state and federal agencies and organize anti-meth education programs in the state.

Jackson's fire department is on the environmental protection end of the initiative. The Jackson firefighters clean up the meth messes that the police find. And police are finding meth labs by the thousands. In 2003, nearly 3,000 labs were seized across the state, compared to only 12 in 1993.

Jackson operates one of the most active meth collection stations in the state. It collects meth labs from law enforcement agencies within a 75-mile radius and the cleanup process serves dual roles. While the firefighters break down the chemicals into safer forms and store them until the Department of Natural Resources takes them away, they also get hazardous material training. Last year, Jackson's fire department processed 495 labs, the third most in the state, and 21,829 pounds of materials, fourth most in Missouri. Meth is the most prevalent synthetic drug manufactured in the United States, and Missouri has lead the nation in seized labs for three straight years.

The cleanup station has allowed the fire department and other area law enforcement officials to interact more and create better relationships, which bodes well, Golden says, when firefighters and police come together in emergency situations. The new initiative will take that a step further, Golden said, because both branches of public safety can work together in educating the public.

Educating the public

Golden said this education will be good for the fire department, which occasionally responds to medical emergencies that involve meth.

Cape Girardeau police chief Steve Strong said he sees a clear need for more education.

"I've personally encountered people from rural areas who found meth labs and weren't sure what it was," Strong said. "One time, a person threw some stuff in the back of my truck, not knowing what they were doing."

As local law enforcement agencies get more adept at catching meth cooks, Strong said the cooks become more adept at evading the police.

"People need to know that this is out there and in many cases these people are moving around and sneaking on other people's property," he said.

bmiller@semissourian.com

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