Pubdate: Thu, 22 Jul 2004 Source: Markham Economist & Sun (CN ON) Copyright: 2004, Metroland Printing Contact: http://www.yorkregion.com/yr/newscentre/markhameconomistandsun/ Forum: http://info.metroland.com/php/phpbb2_yr/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/2360 Author: Martin Derbyshire DRUG LAB THREAT WORRIES UNION Firefighters want notification of chemicals in homes Markham firefighters have become increasingly concerned for their safety after stumbling upon two potentially dangerous drug labs in the span of a few days. Now they're asking York Regional Police to let them know if a house is suspected to be a marijuana grow operation or ecstasy lab before they respond to calls. "Without jeopardizing any ongoing investigations, we're just hoping our firefighters can be made aware if police suspect a house is involved in drug manufacturing," Markham Professional Firefighters Association president John Brassard said. "There is a higher level of danger at these homes and if we know that going in, it changes everything in how we handle a call." Markham firefighters were the first to find a $10-million ecstasy lab filled with dangerous chemicals in the garage of a Manhattan Drive home while responding to a report of smoke Saturday. A second ecstasy lab was discovered Tuesday by Markham firefighters responding to small kitchen fire on Brunswick Street in the Kennedy Road and 16th Avenue area. Firefighters extinguished that blaze and, before clearing the scene, routinely searched each room in the house with the help of police to ensure no further danger existed. A man who was found sleeping in an upstairs bedroom denied officers entry to a locked cold-storage room before fleeing the home. When the door to the storage area was opened, police found a pill press and ecstasy tablets. Firefighters receive print-outs about fire locations from their dispatch office before responding to calls. The print-outs detail potential dangers at a site, including if a large amount of chemicals or other combustible materials are stored in the area. The chemicals used in the production of ecstasy can be highly combustible and could create a large scale explosion, according to Det.-Sgt. Karen Noakes of the drugs and vice squad. All the more reason why firefighters need to know if police have a home under surveillance as a suspected drug manufacturing lab before they go in, Mr. Brassard said. "(An explosion at the Manhattan Drive ecstasy lab) would have wiped out the entire first responding crew of 13 firefighters," Mr. Brassard said. "We want to ensure our firefighters are kept safe." However, Det.-Sgt. Noakes, who said the Manhattan lab wasn't under surveillance until firefighters found it, isn't sure full disclosure is possible. "Who and what we are investigating is highly confidential information," she said. "But, that said, we'd never knowingly put anybody at risk." Drugs and vice officers would be willing to discuss the possibility of sharing information to help keep firefighters safe, but Det.-Sgt. Noakes said a complete open-book policy is unlikely. "We cannot identify a home as a grow op or an ecstasy lab until we go in there and conduct an investigation," she said. "And it wouldn't be fair to share information before then. It's not as if we have the information and we're not sharing it." - --- MAP posted-by: Josh