Seven hospitalized for possible fentanyl exposure at Licking County Jail
Five inmates and two corrections officers were taken to Licking Memorial Hospital for possible fentanyl exposure Sunday morning, according to the Licking County Sheriff's Office.
About a dozen units responded to the Licking County Justice Center for a reported mass casualty incident level one around 11:42 a.m. Sunday.
Licking County Sheriff's Office Col. Chad Dennis said there appeared to be fentanyl exposure in one of the modules in the Licking County Justice Center, prompting the call for medics.
Dennis said five inmates and two corrections officers were taken to Licking Memorial Hospital. He said they all appear to be doing OK now and the corrections officers are currently in a 90-minute observation.
Dennis said inmates are doing fine and will be released shortly to be brought back to the justice center.
According to Dennis, investigators are currently investigator to see if any additional charges will be filed on individuals. He added they'll be housed in a different unit until the module is decontaminated.
"We're taking precautions," Dennis said of the risk of any ongoing exposure. "We have CODE (Central Ohio Drug Enforcement Task Force) coming in to decontaminate the module. We've moved the inmates out of that module to decontaminate the area."
Units from five Licking County fire departments have responded to the scene.
In previous years, several drug arrests have been reported out of Lost Lands Music Festival, which was set in the Thornville area over the weekend. Dennis said he doesn't believe the incident to have any connect to the festival, noting none of the inmates had been transported from Lost Lands.
This article originally appeared on Newark Advocate: Seven hospitalized for fentanyl exposure at Licking County Ohio jail
