Five prison guards were taken to hospital after they were exposed to a cloud of toxic drugs, believed at the time to be fentanyl, by an inmate during a search of a cell inside a British Columbia prison.

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The incident happened on June 11 during a targeted search of a cell by officers at the Pacific Institution when an inmate allegedly tried to destroy evidence by dispersing the contraband substance into the air, according to the prison officer’s union.

Three of the officers were taken to hospital by ambulance. One officer required chest compressions while in the ambulance; at least three officers required naloxone, an emergency medication used to reduce the effects of opioids, typically used to restore breathing after an opioid overdose, according to the Union of Canadian Correctional Officers (UCCO). Two others, who arrived to help, were treated as a precaution.

“They were conducting some searching, which is routine for us, and while searching, they found an inmate in possession of narcotics. The inmate became combative as soon as the officers tried to deal with the situation and basically, it turned into a fight,” said John Randle, the UCCO Pacific region’s president.

“And in that fight the drugs went everywhere, basically went airborne, it’s almost like throwing flour in the air and it’s just floating in the air. It covered the officers physically and then they also inhaled it.”

The dark blue anti-stab vests officers wear were coated by white powder, he said.

One officer was near to passing out while all three involved in the search showed symptoms of overdosing, Randle said. The officers believed it was fentanyl.

The Correctional Service of Canada (CSC) confirmed that five prison officers were exposed to a substance and treated at Abbotsford Regional Hospital, including the use of naloxone, but a CSC official told National Post late Monday that laboratory tests determined the substance to be a mix of stimulants, not fentanyl.

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The male inmate whose cell was being searched had recently arrived at the Pacific Institution and was still in the reception unit at the time, where inmates live while being assessed for their security classification and prison placement, a process that can take weeks.

It is unknown what the inmate had been convicted of prior to arriving or how long he had been there.

“This is near the top end, or on the higher end, of worst-case scenarios,” Randle said of prison staff. “The abundance of dangerous drugs inside our institutions is putting officers’ lives at risk. Our members were simply doing their jobs when they were exposed to one of the most lethal drugs on the streets. This should never happen.”

The union said the incident is not an isolated event and heralds an illicit drug crisis in Canada’s prisons with government cutbacks making it worse.

Frédérick Lebeau, the union’s national president, said prison intervention for drugs has been weakened by a CSC directive that weakens disciplinary measures against inmates for institutional drug use in pursuit of a harm reduction model.

“At the very moment that illicit drugs are becoming more prevalent and violence is increasing, CSC is moving in the opposite direction,” said Lebeau.

CSC said it is working on solutions to a growing problem.

“CSC is taking measures to address the concerns raised, particularly regarding contraband — such as drugs — being introduced into our institutions,” said Lucinda Fraser, a CSC spokesperson. Fraser said the federal government budgeted funding of $60.4 million over three years to enhance prison security technologies and strengthen capacity to detect and disrupt drone-related delivery activities.

“To support our employees, we must do more than respond to incidents. We must invest in safer workplaces, modern tools, and strong mental health support services. We remain committed to ensuring that our staff have the tools and resources they need,” Fraser said.

Randle said the officers are all now medically well but are psychologically shaken by the incident, as are their families — particularly the officer who required chest compression treatment.

Fentanyl is a drug of particular concern as it is a powerful opioid that can be fatal even in small doses. The drug has been linked to an alarming rise in overdose drug deaths. In April, B.C.’s chief health officer declared drug overdoses a public health emergency, a declaration typically reserved for a contagious disease outbreak, after more than 200 overdose deaths in the province in the first three months of this year.

Pacific Institution is a complex of multiple security levels in Abbotsford, B.C., about 80 kilometres east of Vancouver, with a capacity of 509 inmates.

It includes CSC’s Regional Treatment Centre and became the first prison institution in North America to gain full accreditation as a hospital, according to CSC.

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