News Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 31, 2003

Youngstown DEA Provides Clandestine Lab Awareness Training To Area Public Safety Personnel

Youngstown, Ohio- On January 31, 2003, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Youngstown, Ohio office provided clandestine laboratory awareness training to public safety personnel throughout the Youngstown area. This training is provided at no cost to police, fire, and medical emergency personnel. The training provides education and safety related information regarding illegal clandestine drug laboratories. The mid-west United States has seen a marked increase in methamphetamine laboratories during the last several years and the DEA takes very seriously its responsibility to be a leader in keeping our communities and public safety personnel safe.

During the past three years, the DEA Detroit Field Division, which includes Ohio, Michigan and Kentucky, has provided clandestine laboratory awareness training to over 4,000 police and fire personnel. The training seminars have led to a better understanding of clandestine drug operations and the notification procedures to be followed to have specially trained DEA or state and local authorities dismantle these hazardous operations. Sixty-four police and fire personnel attended the training provided in Youngstown from eleven different agencies.

Clandestine drug laboratories have the potential to be extremely explosive and hazardous due to toxic fumes. The DEA awareness training centers on informing attendees concerning:

  • What is a clandestine drug lab?
  • History of methamphetamine and recent trends
  • Methods of methamphetamine manufacture
  • Hazards of methamphetamine labs
  • Federal and State laws regarding clandestine laboratories
  • What agencies to contact regarding clandestine laboratories

    DEA has received very positive response regarding this training and the Youngstown DEA office is planning additional seminars in the near future. The next clandestine laboratory awareness training class will be held:

    March 7th, 2003
    Kent State University
    Ashtabula Campus
    1:00pm-4:00pm

    This training is open to all police, fire, and medical emergency personnel at no cost. To register for the Kent State Ashtabula Campus class, please contact Special Agent Steve Rapp at the DEA Youngstown at (330) 740-7000.