8 first responders hospitalized after hazmat situation in LaBelle (2024)

THEY ALSO FOUND A HANDCUFF KEY ON HIM WHILE IN CUSTODY. >> WELL, ONE MAKES ME NERVOUS. IS THAT THEY HAVEN'T FOUND OUT WHAT IT IS. >> THE ARMY NATIONAL GUARD IS NOW IN HENDRY COUNTY TRYING TO HELP FIGURE OUT WHAT SENT A DEPUTIES TO THE HOSPITAL ON WEDNESDAY. TODAY, WE LEARNED WHATEVER THE SUBSTANCE IS. IT WAS SO POTENT, AT LEAST 5 PEOPLE HAD TO RECEIVE NARCAN. NBC 2 SAMANTHA SERBIN IS LIVE FROM NORTH INDUSTRIAL LOOP. OR WE CAN FINALLY GET A CLOSER LOOK AT THE SCENE. SAM. >> YES, SO WE'VE SEEN DEPUTIES, FORENSICS TEAMS AND SPECIALTY UNITS ALL DAY LONG GOING BACK BEHIND THIS BARRICADE TO THE MOBILE COMMAND CENTER. YOU CAN SEE ABOUT A BLOCK AND A HALF DOWN THIS ROAD. WE NOW KNOW NOT ONLY IS THE NATIONAL GUARD AND OTHER LOCAL AGENCIES ON SCENE. THE FBI, ATF AND DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION ARE ALL HERE, TOO. FROM OUR EYE IN THE SKY. YOU CAN SEE A COMMAND CENTER OF THE SIGNS OF A SEMI TRUCK HERE ON NORTH INDUSTRIAL LOOP. >> THIS PART OF THE NOW THREE-DAY LONG INVESTIGATION CONTINUING TO TEST FOR CHEMICALS OR OTHER HAZARDOUS SUBSTANCES. SCARY, WHAT MAKES ME NERVOUS IS THAT THEY HAVEN'T FOUND OUT WHAT IT IS SO FAR. PENDER COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE SAYS ALL THEIR TESTS CAME BACK NEGATIVE. THAT'S WHY TEAMS FROM ALL OVER ARE HERE WITH MORE ADVANCED TECHNOLOGY. AND EVEN A MOBILE LAB TO SPEED UP RESULTS. WE'VE NEVER HAD A SITUATION LIKE THIS HERE. NOT THAT I CAN RECALL. YOU KNOW, WE MIGHT HAVE HAD A SITUATION WHERE THERE WAS SOMETHING THAT WAS VERY MINOR. >> BUT NOT LIKE THIS, NOT TO THIS MAGNITUDE. YOU CAN SEE THERE ARE A LOT OF PEOPLE ON SCENE SOME POINT TOWARD THIS PROPERTY WITH A LOT OF CARS AND OTHER ITEMS IN IT. WE'VE SEEN A MAN AND A HAZMAT SUIT SEVERAL TIMES BAGGING ITEMS LIKE WHAT LOOKS TO BE A T-SHIRT. WE KNOW 9 PEOPLE SO FAR FELT THE IMPACTS FROM WHATEVER THE SUBSTANCE IS DIZZINESS, COUGHING, FORGET FULLNESS, NAUSEA, WE HAD SOME THAT. THEY DID HAVE TO IN OUR HANDS. SO WE DON'T KNOW WHAT WE'RE DEALING WITH. WE JUST DON'T KNOW. TODAY. AN AMBULANCE IS ON SITE FOR SAFETY REASONS. CAPTAIN SUSAN, HER ELSE IS ONLY A CONFINED AREA ON THIS PROPERTY IS CAUSING PEOPLE TO FEEL SICK. ANYONE ON THE OUTSKIRTS HAS BEEN FINE. PLEASE DON'T PANIC. IT'S NOT IS WE DON'T FEEL THAT THE PUBLIC IS IN ANY DANGER. IF WE DID, WE CERTAINLY WOULD HAVE EXPANDED THE AREA. >> AND WE WOULD NOT ALLOW YOU ALL TO BE AS CLOSE AS YOU ARE RIGHT NOW. WE KNOW THEY FOUND STOLEN CARS, AUTO PARTS AND EQUIPMENT >> HCSO HAS A SEARCH WARRANT. BUT BEFORE DEPUTIES CAN FULLY SEARCHED THE PROPERTY, IT HAS TO BE DEEMED SAFE. >> WELL, I DIDN'T BELIEVE THAT IS NOT WHAT'S HAPPENING HERE IN TOWN I THOUGHT I WAS SOME PLACE ELSE. MAYBE NAPLES, SOME, YOU KNOW, BIG CITIES. BUT ED, WE NEVER HAD THOSE MOVES IN TOWN. AND THAT WAS SURPRISING TO ME. I'VE EVEN MAYBE ABOUT A MILE AWAY FROM THAT AREA. AND WE DIDN'T KNOW. BUT THANK YOU YOU GUYS ARE HELPING US OUT. >> NOW, LOOKING BACK AT THIS MOBILE COMMAND CENTER JUST IN THE PAST FEW MINUTES, IT DOES LOOK LIKE IT IS MOVING FORWARD. VERY SLOWLY. SO WE'RE NOT SURE IF THEY'VE GOT AN UPDATE. IF THEY'VE GOT ANSWERS OR WHAT'S GOING ON ORIGINALLY WERE TOLD THEY MAY BE OUT HERE THROUGH THE WEEKEND WITH ALL OF THESE AGENCIES HELPING TO TEST OUT HOPEFULLY FIND OUT SOON WHAT THE HAZARDOUS MATERIAL OF COURSE, WILL BE HERE A