The Restoration Revolution Podcast

Fentanyl Crisis: Professional Cleanup Saves Lives

• Chad Mallonee • Episode 15

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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

Speaker 1:

Welcome to the Restoration Revolution podcast, where we help restore hope and put your family on the road to recovery.

Speaker 2:

Professional cleanup crews safely manage these dangerous scenes. Chad maloney explains what makes fentanyl so hazardous and how his team at hazard clean responds. Welcome back everyone. I'm Sofia Yvette, co-host slash producer. Back in the studio with Chad Maloney, owner of Hazard Clean Restoration, Chad. How's it going?

Speaker 3:

It's going well. Thanks for having me, Sofia.

Speaker 2:

Wonderful. Now we're hearing more and more about fentanyl in the news. It's actually become a national crisis. How does your team handle this?

Speaker 3:

Fentanyl. It definitely is a national crisis, sophia. I mean it's the leading cause of 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 mean from, I think, 21 to 23, 2021, 2023,. There's been over about 70,000 unfortunate overdoses or people that have passed away from fentanyl each year, and that averages approximately about 200 a day that die from fentanyl overdose. If you do the math, since about 2018, almost about a quarter million Americans have died from fentanyl and right now it's the leading killer of adults from 18 to 45. And so it's surpassed everything and it's definitely an issue.

Speaker 3:

One of the challenges with it is, you know, they put it in so many things that the average person that is thinking they're taking maybe a pill or anything like that, that they become victim of it as well. If it's in any kind of buildings, 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 than heroin and 100 times more potent than morphine, and the scariest thing is that typically you don't know that it's there until it's too late. Basically just two milligrams, which is you know, they say. They say, you know, like a pinch of salt's not going to hurt anyone or whichever, but a pinch of salt of federal fentanyl will actually kill you. It's basically enough, just, you know, to put on the top of a 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 of toddlers that have passed away and just from crawling on like fentanyl lace carpets in like short-term rentals. There was cases of toddlers being exposed to fentanyl in city parks. There was even one that made national headlines. But in New York there was one where multiple children overdosed from the residue of fentanyl because they were running some kind of operation out of a bedroom in that area.

Speaker 3:

And it's a challenge for not just, you know, the United States with so many deaths, but it's also a challenge for the companies that go in and clean it up. You know fentanyl can can cling, the residue can cling to fabrics, it can get into air vents, it can remain dangerous even if the whole place looks like it's clean, you know. So it looks visually clean but it's not. And there's been cases of cleaning companies go in to clean an area that looks clean and the cleaners became exposed to it and died. Because they went and they started cleaning and they basically aerosolized the fentanyl in the air and breathed it in. And so from a remediation standpoint and cleaning standpoint, it really prevents a unique challenge. And there's not visual markers. The place will look clean, but unless you have the right tools and know what you're doing, it can be a huge issue and lives can be lost. That's why we approach fentanyl scenes like hazardous zones.

Speaker 3:

We consider what we call forensic restoration by risk level fives, and our team wears full body suits, triple layer gloves, we wear PAPRs. We never dry, sweep or dry, you know, use dry cleaning techniques or anything. We use wet methods. That helps prevent cleaning techniques or anything. We use wet methods that helps prevent aerosolization and we also apply special neutralizing chemicals that also reduce the risk for our team when we're in there. It really is our job to protect that next person obviously our team members but we want to make sure that when we're cleaning up that fentanyl we're using the right techniques, tactics, tools and we go back to our training with that and it's not just about wiping down surfaces, it's about recognizing that that microscopic residue can kill you. We need to make sure that we're focusing on getting it so clean that they could open a daycare once we're done with it.

Speaker 2:

Wow. Now I have to ask Chad is it possible for someone to be saved from fentanyl poisoning on site? And if it is, what does that process look like?

Speaker 3:

So it's a great, great follow-up question With fentanyl. If someone is exposed to fentanyl or having an overdose, it's fast Fentanyl very, very quickly. Most people that when they become exposed to it they don't remember if they are brought back or they're still holding what if they were trying to. If it was someone using drugs, they're usually a lot of times they can be found still holding what they were using, because that's how quickly, especially if you breathe it in or smoke it or anything like that.

Speaker 3:

And so the you know you can, you can administer what's called Narcan. That will block the opiate receptors and it'll actually reverse the fentanyl, the effects it's having on the body. And so you know, in situations you give them, you know you give them a dose of Narcan and see if it's, if it's, if they're coming back, if you can check their breathing, everything else. If not, you you know, sometimes you may have to administer multiple doses depending on how much fentanyl that they have either ingested or whatnot. Yes, but if someone is there and they do have Narcan, then yes, you can save someone from fentanyl.

Speaker 2:

Wow. Thank you for sharing this insight today, Chad. Your team's work truly brings compassion and calm to some of life's toughest moments. We'll see you on your next episode. Have a fantastic rest of your day.

Speaker 3:

You too. Thank you, Sophia. Thanks for having me.

Speaker 1:

Thanks for listening to the Restoration Revolution podcast, where recovery starts here. Let us help put your family on the road to recovery. Go to hazardcleannet or call 772-259-5018. That's 772-259-5018.