Mitigating the risks posed by fentanyl and other narcotics to K-9 teams

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Mitigating the risks posed by fentanyl and other narcotics to K-9 teams

By Rob Havice

K-9 teams serve on the front lines of narcotics detection.

 

Police dogs and their handlers help find and detect a variety of novel opioids such as fentanyl, benzodiazepines and other illicit narcotics. However, their role in America’s war on drugs puts them at risk every day. K-9 teams go through vigorous training, yet they might not know how to effectively mitigate the risk of drug contamination. That lack of awareness could prove fatal to dogs and their handlers, or at the very least result in illness. This danger has only grown in recent years with the increased potency of fentanyl.

 

K-9 team activities that could involve drug contamination include executing search warrants and making arrests. Understanding how to minimize exposure during such tasks, and deal with decontamination when it occurs, keeps a valuable police asset safe and on the job.

 

A historical lack of K-9 decontamination protocols

 

Historically, law enforcement agencies lacked protocols for decontaminating K-9 teams. That’s mostly because the topic wasn’t frequently considered before the rise of fentanyl. A dog that was exposed to something potentially hazardous was simply rinsed with water.

 

Decontamination policies existed for equipment, but those were often subjective. A policy might require a helicopter used to transport a drug-exposed dog to be decontaminated before its next operation. But officers might interpret that as using bleach and water, which doesn't neutralize opioids.

 

The effects of fentanyl and the new range of novel opioids

 

The emergence of fentanyl and the ongoing evolution of synthetic drugs have dramatically changed narcotics detection for K-9 teams. Today, tiny amounts of a substance can result in an overdose or death. With most opioids, just a few milligrams can kill an averaged sized adult and, of course, could easily prove fatal to a dog.

 

Because of the increased potency, K-9 teams have become more cognizant of the narcotics threat. But they must grapple with a lot of uncertainty. How much of a substance is dangerous when airborne? What are the contributing factors such as air movement and absorption mechanisms?

 

Core risks for K-9 teams working with novel opioids

 

Coming into contact with dangerous drugs is the core risk K-9 teammates share. The hazard might stem from physical contact with a substance or inhaling airborne particles. For a dog, which leads with its nose, the primary risk is damage to its olfactory system. That risk has dramatically increased with drugs like fentanyl, where inhaling miniscule quantities can prove devastating. Compromising a dog's incredibly sensitive olfactory system is like taking an engine out of a car …. it just doesn’t work anymore.

 

Handlers should prepare for potential drug exposure, even if they aren't directly involved in narcotics investigations. Some handlers may not want their dogs to search for fentanyl because of the health risks. But even so, an animal will still sometimes come into contact with dangerous substances. An untrained dog will spend more time on an unfamiliar odor to process what it's smelling. This exposes the dog to more risk, not less.

 

For the handler, the core risk is the potential for overdose or death from illicit drugs. An additional concern is taking extra steps to protect their dogs. When a dog enters an area and starts searching, it will generally bump into things. The dog's activities could cause drugs in powder form to become an airborne respiratory threat. Handlers should perform an initial walk-through of the search area before bringing the dog in. They should look for drug bags or other items that could lead to aerial contamination.

 

Common errors handlers make when encountering drugs

 

Some common mistakes happen at the beginning of a search. When handlers fail to have full control over their dogs in a search area, their canine partners can come into contact with suspicious substances. A preliminary walk-through and establishing close control can minimize the potential for exposure.

 

The next mistake stems from insufficient training on drug hazards and how to care for dogs exposed to illicit drugs. Panic ensues when handlers don't know how to resolve the issue. They'll scoop up their dog and drive to an emergency veterinary clinic with advanced care. In some regions that facility could be hours away. Time is everything when exposure occurs.

 

Training can help here, but it must be continuous.  Handlers need to stay on top of evolving drugs, specific hazards and side effects. With that awareness, the handler can perform the initial triage on a dog in distress and respond accordingly.

 

Preparation is key. But smaller agencies might lack the funding for drug-decontamination training K-9 teams need.

 

The risks of poor decontamination practices

 

Limited training, lack of awareness and insufficient preparation add up to poor decontamination practices. These are some of the risks to the K-9 team and the people they interact with, on and off the job.

 

●      The police dog: When a dog comes into contact with a suspicious powder, officers must observe caution with their decontamination methods. That's especially the case when applying something to the dog to deal with the foreign substance. A mixture of items could cause a chemical reaction, creating an entirely new hazard.

 

●      The handler: For a human, the idea is to avoid contamination in the first place. Handlers minimize the decontamination task when they use personal protective equipment (PPE): gloves, goggles and masks. PPE reduces the chance of drugs entering the body. This is important for handlers whose first priority is helping their dogs when showing signs of distress. That immediate care means a handler's exposure to drugs could be prolonged, since the human partner's decontamination is likely to happen much later.

 

●      Law enforcement transportation: A dog, if stricken, might be transported in a police helicopter or car. Local ambulance services could also have agreements to transport injured police dogs. Dogs, as well as handlers traveling with their dogs, could leave traces of illicit drugs in air or ground vehicles. Unfortunately, transport managers may not have thought much about how to properly decontaminate their air or ground vehicles before putting them back into service.

 

●      Law enforcement officers supporting the K-9 team: Law enforcement offers helping K-9 teams can also be subject to secondary exposure. That becomes an issue if the teams aren't aware of, or fail to follow, proper decontamination procedures.

 

●      Family members: A police dog lives at the handler's home, so poor decontamination practices can expose the entire family to lingering drug residue. A dog's fur can withhold powders, liquids or whatever the animal came into contact with during a narcotics search. If the dog isn't decontaminated, it will transport those substances to the handler's car and, potentially, back to the home.

 

The necessity of K-9 decontamination protocols

 

With so many stakeholders at risk, law enforcement agencies must have a narcotics decontamination protocol for their K-9 teams. The pivotal issue is mitigating the risk of vicarious liability.  There's potential for harm when a drug-exposed dog comes into contact with a powder and is later among police officers or the general public.

 

Handlers don’t always know what they've inadvertently taken from a crime scene, given the small amounts of drug residue involved. As a result, they cultivate the mindset of keeping the evidence at the crime scene and not bring it back into the workplace, car or home.

 

A K-9 decontamination protocol for ground evacuation

 

Law enforcement agencies should establish a decontamination protocol specific to ground evacuation. Drug-exposed dogs transported in a patrol car or an ambulance create an obvious risk for the people driving or riding along in the vehicles.

 

Here, the decontamination procedure involves cleaning the dogs' muzzle and then putting a soft muzzle on it. The nose is irrigated and then a drape is placed over the dog, which is typically unconscious. The drape is secured so the dog can't tear it off if it revives. An overdosed dog will often be administered an opioid antagonist medication. When normal breathing resumes, the dog will get to its feet and shake itself. This is its instinctive protection mechanism. A dog that hasn't been cleaned and covered will send any residual powder into the air.

 

Decontamination also reduces the potential for harm after the dog has been transported to an advanced care facility. Without a safety protocol, the vehicles in which dogs were transported could become contaminated. Exposure to substances could endanger officers or medical personnel when patrol cars or ambulances are subsequently used. This is why any vehicle used for an evacuation must also be thoroughly decontaminated together with the officers’ uniform and all equipment used while dealing with the incident.

 

A K-9 decontamination protocol for air evacuation

 

The decontamination protocol for air evaluations is essentially the same as the ground evacuation process. The platform the dog travels on in a helicopter, with the handler nearby, resides in a very confined space, which underscores the need a rigorous decontamination method.

 

In effect, the decontamination process involves creating a PPE layer for the dog. This preparation pays off when the dog arrives at an advanced care facility. Following a decontamination protocol ensures that advanced care veterinarians can start working on a dog right away, without worrying about drug exposure. 

 

Decontamination best practices for dogs and handlers

 

When a dog is exposed to narcotics, handlers should do what they can to neutralize the substance on the dog. Cleaning the affected area, whether it’s the muzzle, paws, or fur, should be the initial response. The next step is containment. For example, the cloths, towels or other materials used to clean the dog should be placed in hazmat bags. The goal is to prevent contamination from spreading to additional areas.

 

Another best practice: Handlers should monitor their dogs after a search for signs of distress, such as difficulty breathing. Some handlers install video cameras in their cars, which lets them check on their dogs when they are temporarily away from their vehicles.

 

Such practices, along with decontamination protocols, are critical for protecting K-9 teams. On one level, it's investment protection: The cost of training and equipping a K-9 team can run into six figures. But mitigating the risk of contamination is a core duty owed to law enforcement's animal partners. They depend on their human counterparts to keep them safe.

 

This article first appeared on Police1. Read the article by clicking here.

 

Rob Havice is the director of K-9 at the SoRite Company. He is from Medford Oregon, and he is a retired law enforcement professional with over 32 years of experience. During his career, he spent 25 years as a K-9 handler, and he was also a SWAT operator for his agency's tactical team. Rob handled six K-9's during his career, working with both patrol and detection dogs. Rob served as a Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Task Force Officer assigned as a K-9 handler to a High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) team. Rob is a Master K-9 trainer through the Oregon Police Canine Association (OPCA) where he served as the Detection Chairman for 13 years and he currently holds the position of President of the International Police Canine Association (IPCA). Contact him at: rhavice@sorite.com

 

About SoRite

SoRite develops high-performance decontamination and cleaning solutions for professional, tactical and consumer use. The company is on a mission to make life safer, cleaner, and better for everyone. Its products are grounded in scientific research and designed to provide fast, reliable results and exceed operational demands while delivering industrial-strength performance without toxic trade-offs. SoRite is a Woman-Owned Business and was established in 2015.

 

Media Contact:

Evan Bloom

Fortress Strategic Communications

evan@fortresscomms.com