Florida Hazmat Team Responds to Mobile Meth Lab
Source Northwest Florida Daily News, Fort Walton Beach
VALPARAISO, Fla. -- Firefighters and members of the Okaloosa County Special Operations team responded to the scene of a portable meth lab discovered in a pick-up truck Wednesday morning.
Valparaiso police officers discovered the lab after they pulled over the truck on Valparaiso Parkway in front of the Coco-Cola plant shortly before 8:30 a.m., said Valparaiso Fire Chief Mark Norris.
Officers found products commonly used to manufacture meth inside the truck, so they immediately called in the fire department.
"The police did a great job," Norris said.
Firefighters were on hand in case of an explosion and they and the hazmat team cleared the scene, hosed down the driver of the truck and collected the hazardous waste.
No one was injured.
"The good thing is nothing went boom," Norris said.
Firefighters were at the scene until about 3:30 p.m. Norris said every pound of meth that is manufactured produces about seven pounds of hazardous waste that responders have to dispose.
The driver was arrested on drug charges and taken to the Okaloosa County Jail, Norris said.
Copyright 2012 - Northwest Florida Daily News, Fort Walton Beach
McClatchy-Tribune News Service
