Fentanyl spill outside Duluth Police HQ prompts quarantine
DULUTH, Ga. - A hazardous materials team was called to the Duluth Police Department headquarters early Wednesday afternoon after fentanyl was spilled outside the building fentanyl was spilled outside the building.
Duluth Police told FOX 5 News an undercover officer and a crime scene technician were transporting the drug evidence from the Georgia Bureau of Investigation's lab when they realized one of the boxes spilled.
HAZMAT crew members responded to the fentanyl spill and quarantined the area surrounding the accident.
“They backed off and contacted Gwinnett and we got into our hazmat suits and we followed procedure,” said Public Information Officer Ted Sadowski.
The crime scene technician and the officer were also quickly quarantined.
"They've been exposed. They are set aside and when the fire department shows up, they are decontaminated. They take off all their clothes and are sprayed with water," Officer. Sadowski confirmed.
By 2:30 p.m., the scare was over. The fire department determined there was no danger.
The Duluth Police Department is located in the 3200 block of Buford Highway.
In recent weeks, law enforcement agencies in Georgia have warned the public about the dangerous nature of fentanyl.
Monday, the Marietta Police Department issued what it labeled "a public alert" about the possible risk to everyday people who may come into contact with synthetic opioids, like fentanyl and carfentanil. The drugs are so powerful, that simply touching them could lead to a life-threatening overdose.
Fentanyl and its derivatives have been blamed for a recent outbreak of overdose cases across the state.