The fentanyl crisis has gripped the province unlike any other drug in recent memory, and corrections officers and first responders are at the forefront of the battle.
Last week Corrections Canada reported that 16 corrections officers may have been exposed to the deadly drug between December 2015 and September of this year. According to the report, there were three instances at the Drumheller Institution. It was not disclosed whether medical attention was needed.
According to regional president of the Union of Corrections Officers (UCCO) James Bloomfield, that number might be much higher.
“We have had probably the most seizures out of Drumheller of both carfentanyl and fentanyl,” said Bloomfield. The staff there has saved well over 25 lives. “We have had up to eight overdoses at one time in separate locations. The staff there has been unbelievably aware, unbelievably quick in their response. They have done an amazing job.”
He adds that the list provided by Corrections does not mention any instances at the Bowden Institution. He has learned that eight officers at Bowden were exposed to something and were sent to a hospital.
“I can’t actually dispute the number of exposures, the reality about how we are being exposed is that it is in small amounts. A couple of grains could be enough to send someone over the edge if they have never been exposed to something like that before. The problem is that it is not very detectable. Once that minute amount is in your system it can do the damage it does; to detect it is very difficult because a lot of times it is mixed with other drugs. So getting a clear case where I can say I have had eight officers.” He says it is less important that they identify the drug than it is to react to health consequences.”
“The reality is I don’t care what you call it, the reality is there is something highly toxic that is definitely a serious concern for all first responders. As we go through the process it shouldn’t be labeled as Fentanyl, it has to be labeled as highly toxic substances. We have fentanyl, carfentanyl, and a lot of other stuff that is just as toxic and deadly.”
Bloomfield explains drugs in an institution are reflective of what is on the street. He says as the drug became prominent, Corrections Canada brought in the naloxone kits to all of their institutions in accessible points, and they have been effective.
“One of our biggest issues right now is we are discussing how we are going to do first aid, CPR for example. If an individual in a cell is down and unresponsive, there is a good possibility there is powder around. We are supposed to put on our N95 masks to take out any airborne particles. However, the second we get in the cell we have to preserve life first. Which means we have to take that N95 mask off and get down within eight milliliters of this inmate’s face and start blowing breathes into him. It becomes the opposite of the safety procedures that are there now, so we are working with Correction Canada on that to get that in line.”
“The reality is we are in a very dangerous place when we are in these cells dealing with these substances,” said Bloomfield.

    The Alberta Government has responded to the Advisory Panel on Coal Communities and announced the $40 million Coal Workforce Transition Fund.
      The fund announced on Friday, November 10 is to provide income support to those working in Alberta’s thermal coal and coal-fired power plants.  
    Mayor of Hanna, Chris Warwick, is pleased by the announcement.
      “I am very pleased they took what the panel recommended and started to implement that. That is a good sign because the coal panel did some good work and spoke to everybody, so it is a good start for sure," said Warwick.
     According to a realse, this fund is to facilitate workers in their transition into new jobs or into retirement. The program comes with mechanisms that include:
•    Direct support from facilitators with Alberta Labour who will meet with workers, their unions and employers to connect them with the supports that work best for them.
•    Tuition vouchers to help cover costs related to post-secondary education, such as tuition, books and mandatory fees.
•    Third-party retraining programs that provide employment placement, job matching and options for work exposure.
•    A variety of professional certification courses.
    “Alberta coal workers have a proud history of helping to power our prosperous and industrious province,” said Deron Bilous, Minister of Economic Development and Trade. “I’ve heard first-hand how important it is to make sure we support workers and families as the country transitions away from coal. We’re calling on the Federal Government to step up and do their part to ensure this fund can help these workers earn a good living for themselves and their families.”
     The province also saying in a press release, it has requested that the Federal Government create more flexibility in the federal Employment Insurance program (EI) that would allow workers to receive the new income supports without affecting the amount or duration of EI.
    “The other thing I like is they are now starting to lobby the Federal Government on the EI side. I know that’s minimal, but I think the feds need to step up a little,” said Warwick. “They really started the ball rolling on this in 2012, when they said coal-fired generation stations could only operate for 50 years after their inception, and they have not contributed anything to this situation.”
    This new fund is on top of the province’s Coal Community Transition Fund. In August, the Mail reported the Town of Hanna would receive $450,000 to create its Community Action teams. Warwick says this is important to retain these workers in the community.
    “My concern is always, you can re-train these people and you hope they remain in our region and that is something we are working on with the task force to get new industry into town,” he said.
    “We are actively working on some solutions the government can help us with as far as transition for our region, to retrain some of the jobs on the renewable side. Obviously being on the transition lines, we are set up well for wind and solar, so we have a lot of people knocking on our doors.”
    He still sees that natural gas generation will be key for the province and is hopeful there will be movement to retrofit the coal-fired plants.
    “I think they will have to. There is not going to be enough baseload without some of these coal-fired generation stations converting over,” he said.