Course Overview

Fentanyl is quickly becoming one of the most dangerous and challenging drug-related threats to communities and law enforcement officials across the United States.  Fentanyl is a synthetic opiate used as a surgical anesthetic or as a narcotic to treat chronic and severe pain. It’s most commonly used in cancer patients; however, over the last couple of years, it’s been blamed for the death of thousands of Americans.  It’s characterized by the CDC as an “incapacitating agent,” and provides a substantial risk to law enforcement.  Fentanyl can be absorbed through the skin, whether through accidental contact or inhalation of airborne powder. An amount the size of a few grains of salt can be enough to kill a 250lb man potentially.

Many law enforcement officers are not aware of these risks, and the results can be deadly. If this isn’t scary enough, add Carfentanil to the list of cutting agents used with heroin. Carfentanil is upwards of 100x times stronger than regular Fentanyl and fatal to humans. Today more than ever, law enforcement needs to prepare themselves to deal with this risk.  Day one of this training course will focus on breaking down Fentanyl as well as the latest trends in packaging and distribution.  An emphasis will be placed on how to protect yourself from accidental exposure and possible overdose.  From the onset of an overdose, an officer can die in less than 3 minutes. During this class, officers will learn how to recognize the symptoms and respond to an officer overdose. Detailed information and techniques to put a policy and training in place at your home agency will be discussed. 

An emphasis will be placed on how to collect, process, and preserve Fentanyl evidence while minimizing exposure. The second day of the training course will focus on investigative techniques involving Fentanyl cases. Best practices for undercover operations and/or controlled buys will be discussed in detail. Proactive overdose investigations will also be covered.