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Darke County Jail
Evacuated
Deputies treated for exposure to methamphetamine
On April 17, 2018 at approximately 1:00 PM Darke County, Sheriff’s
Deputies and Corrections Officers were in the process of booking a male
subject into the jail when they were exposed to an unknown white
powder. Please see yesterday’s news release.
On April 18, 2018, the Darke County Jail had resumed normal operation
after it had been believed to be decontaminated. In the morning
hours, air-handling units were turned back on in the affected area of
the jail. After several hours of routine operation deputies and
corrections officers began to feel ill and experienced abnormal vital
signs. Greenville Township Fire and Rescue were called to the
jail and five corrections officers were transported by EMS to Wayne
Healthcare. Additional deputies and officers were called in to
staff the jail.
As crews worked to identify and contain the situation, five additional
officers began to exhibit symptoms of contamination and required
transportation to Wayne Healthcare.
The Miami Valley Regional Crime Lab was able to identify that the white
powder spilled in the jail by arrestee Stephen Garner on April 17th was
methamphetamine. It is believed that the methamphetamine was
drawn in to a ventilation air handler at the time of the spill.
On the morning of April 18thwhen the air handler was turned back on it
distributed enough methamphetamine throughout the prisoner booking and
intake area of the jail to result in a toxic exposure to jail
staff. This exposure did not immediately show signs until a few
hours after the air handler had been turned on. Because this
particular area of the jail is also where the control room is located,
the jail had to be shut down.
The control room is the location where all mechanical security aspects
of the jail are operated. Since this room could no longer
function due to contamination, it required that the Darke County Jail
be evacuated of all inmates and the jail operation be shut down.
Some inmates were scheduled to be released or were released by the
judge on an OR bond. Approximately 28 inmates were transported to
Miami County and Mercer County Jail. The Darke County Clandestine
Drug Lab deputies operated the control room while wearing
self-contained breathing apparatus until the evacuation was
complete. Greenville Township Fire and Rescue remained on the
scene to assist during the operation.
The Darke County Jail structure operates on multiple separate
air-handling units. None of the air-handling units in other areas
of the jail including inmate wards, 911 dispatch and the road patrol
was affected by the contamination. As a result, none of the
inmates in the jail was contaminated or complained of illness.
The jail operation of the Darke County Sheriff’s Office will remain
closed until a private environmental contractor can clean and
decontaminate the affected area.
The Darke County Sheriff’s Office 911 Communications Center and road
patrol remains operational as usual. All Sheriff’s Office numbers
remain in service and will be answered as normal.
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