Fentanyl Crisis: Professional Cleanup Saves Lives

Fentanyl Has Been Such A Major Issue In America, How Does Your Team Handle This?

The silent epidemic claiming 200 American lives daily lurks invisibly in our communities. Chad Mallonee, owner of Hazard Clean Restoration, discusses the shocking realities of America's deadliest substance—fentanyl. Since 2018, nearly a quarter million Americans have died from this odorless, colorless killer that's now the leading cause of death for adults 18-45.

What makes fentanyl particularly terrifying is its potency—50 times stronger than heroin and 100 times more powerful than morphine. Just two milligrams, equivalent to a few grains of salt, delivers a lethal dose. The substance manifests in unexpected places: homes, hotels, daycares, and public parks. Chad recounts heartbreaking stories of toddlers who died from simply crawling on contaminated carpets or playing in parks where fentanyl residue lingered.

The cleanup process presents life-threatening challenges even for professionals. Fentanyl residue clings tenaciously to fabrics and infiltrates ventilation systems, remaining deadly even when spaces appear clean. Chad's team approaches these environments as high-risk hazardous zones, donning full-body protective suits, triple-layer gloves, and powered respirators. They employ specialized wet cleaning methods and neutralizing chemicals to prevent aerosolization of particles. For those experiencing fentanyl exposure, Narcan provides a critical lifeline by blocking opiate receptors and potentially reversing overdose effects when administered promptly.

Discover the specialized techniques keeping communities safe from this invisible threat. Learn how professional remediation teams transform deadly environments into safe spaces through meticulous protocols and specialized equipment. If you're concerned about hazardous cleanup needs, reach out to Hazardclean.net or call 772-259-5018 for professional assistance that could save lives.

To learn more about Hazard Clean Restoration visit:
https://hazardclean.net/
Hazard Clean Restoration
772-259-5018

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:04):
Welcome to the Restoration Revolution podcast,
where we help restore hope andput your family on the road to

(00:29):
recovery.

Speaker 2 (00:30):
Professional cleanup crews safely manage these
dangerous scenes.
Chad maloney explains whatmakes fentanyl so hazardous and
how his team at hazard cleanresponds.
Welcome back everyone.
I'm Sofia Yvette, co-host slashproducer.
Back in the studio with ChadMaloney, owner of Hazard Clean

(00:51):
Restoration, Chad.
How's it going?

Speaker 3 (00:55):
It's going well.
Thanks for having me, Sofia.

Speaker 2 (00:59):
Wonderful.
Now we're hearing more and moreabout fentanyl in the news.
It's actually become a nationalcrisis.
How does your team handle this?

Speaker 3 (01:11):
Fentanyl.
It definitely is a nationalcrisis, sophia.
I mean it's the leading causeof overdose fatalities when it
comes to any kind of opioids,and it really has.
It's been a huge issue.
I mean there's a lot, I meanfrom, I think, 21 to 23, 2021,

(01:34):
2023,.
There's been over about 70,000unfortunate overdoses or people
that have passed away fromfentanyl each year, and that
averages approximately about 200a day that die from fentanyl
overdose.
If you do the math, since about2018, almost about a quarter

(01:54):
million Americans have died fromfentanyl and right now it's the
leading killer of adults from18 to 45.
And so it's surpassedeverything and it's definitely
an issue.
One of the challenges with it is, you know, they put it in so
many things that the averageperson that is thinking they're

(02:15):
taking maybe a pill or anythinglike that, that they become
victim of it as well.
If it's in any kind ofbuildings, you know, sometimes
people don't realize it's there.
Uh, it, it's.
It's.
It's odorless, it's colorless.
It's 50 times more potent thanheroin and 100 times more potent

(02:36):
than morphine, and the scariestthing is that typically you
don't know that it's there untilit's too late.
Basically just two milligrams,which is you know, they say.
They say, you know, like apinch of salt's not going to
hurt anyone or whichever, but apinch of salt of federal
fentanyl will actually kill you.
It's basically enough, just,you know, to put on the top of a

(03:02):
pencil.
It's really, really scary.
And it's turning up everywhere.
I mean it's in homes, hotels,daycares.
You know there's been cases oftoddlers that have passed away
and just from crawling on likefentanyl lace carpets in like
short-term rentals.
There was cases of toddlersbeing exposed to fentanyl in

(03:24):
city parks.
There was even one that madenational headlines.
But in New York there was onewhere multiple children
overdosed from the residue offentanyl because they were
running some kind of operationout of a bedroom in that area.
And it's a challenge for notjust, you know, the United

(03:49):
States with so many deaths, butit's also a challenge for the
companies that go in and cleanit up.
You know fentanyl can can cling, the residue can cling to
fabrics, it can get into airvents, it can remain dangerous
even if the whole place lookslike it's clean, you know.

(04:09):
So it looks visually clean butit's not.
And there's been cases ofcleaning companies go in to
clean an area that looks cleanand the cleaners became exposed
to it and died.
Because they went and theystarted cleaning and they
basically aerosolized thefentanyl in the air and breathed
it in.
And so from a remediationstandpoint and cleaning

(04:33):
standpoint, it really prevents aunique challenge.
And there's not visual markers.
The place will look clean, butunless you have the right tools
and know what you're doing, itcan be a huge issue and lives
can be lost.
That's why we approach fentanylscenes like hazardous zones.
We consider what we callforensic restoration by risk

(04:53):
level fives, and our team wearsfull body suits, triple layer
gloves, we wear PAPRs.
We never dry, sweep or dry, youknow, use dry cleaning
techniques or anything.
We use wet methods.
That helps prevent cleaningtechniques or anything.
We use wet methods that helpsprevent aerosolization and we

(05:15):
also apply special neutralizingchemicals that also reduce the
risk for our team when we're inthere.
It really is our job to protectthat next person obviously our
team members but we want to makesure that when we're cleaning
up that fentanyl we're using theright techniques, tactics,
tools and we go back to ourtraining with that and it's not

(05:37):
just about wiping down surfaces,it's about recognizing that
that microscopic residue cankill you.
We need to make sure that we'refocusing on getting it so clean
that they could open a daycareonce we're done with it.

Speaker 2 (05:52):
Wow.
Now I have to ask Chad is itpossible for someone to be saved
from fentanyl poisoning on site?
And if it is, what does thatprocess look like?

Speaker 3 (06:06):
So it's a great, great follow-up question With
fentanyl.
If someone is exposed tofentanyl or having an overdose,
it's fast Fentanyl very, veryquickly.
Most people that when theybecome exposed to it they don't
remember if they are broughtback or they're still holding

(06:26):
what if they were trying to.
If it was someone using drugs,they're usually a lot of times
they can be found still holdingwhat they were using, because
that's how quickly, especiallyif you breathe it in or smoke it
or anything like that.
And so the you know you can, youcan administer what's called
Narcan.
That will block the opiatereceptors and it'll actually

(06:48):
reverse the fentanyl, theeffects it's having on the body.
And so you know, in situationsyou give them, you know you give
them a dose of Narcan and seeif it's, if it's, if they're
coming back, if you can checktheir breathing, everything else
.
If not, you you know, sometimesyou may have to administer
multiple doses depending on howmuch fentanyl that they have

(07:12):
either ingested or whatnot.
Yes, but if someone is thereand they do have Narcan, then
yes, you can save someone fromfentanyl.

Speaker 2 (07:22):
Wow.
Thank you for sharing thisinsight today, Chad.
Your team's work truly bringscompassion and calm to some of
life's toughest moments.
We'll see you on your nextepisode.
Have a fantastic rest of yourday.

Speaker 3 (07:40):
You too.
Thank you, Sophia.
Thanks for having me.

Speaker 1 (07:46):
Thanks for listening to the Restoration Revolution
podcast, where recovery startshere.
Let us help put your family onthe road to recovery.
Go to hazardcleannet or call772-259-5018.
That's 772-259-5018.