A correction officer at Wende Correctional Facility was hospitalized after being exposed to fentanyl while on duty Tuesday, officials said.
The 55-year-old officer, a 10-year veteran, began feeling dizzy and nauseous while opening cells for inmate recreation. She also reported a burning sensation throughout her body. Another officer noticed her condition and called for help.
She was taken to the facility’s emergency room and later transported to Erie County Medical Center, where a urine test confirmed fentanyl in her system.
The officer spent the night at the hospital and was released the next day. As of the media release, she had not yet returned to work.
HAZMAT was sent to the prison but was not allowed into the area where the exposure occurred. Despite recent incidents at multiple state prisons, including Auburn, Attica, and Clinton, this is the first time a substance has been confirmed as fentanyl.
Union officials are calling the response time and lack of access for HAZMAT a serious failure.
“This should be the wake-up call that the State needs,” said NYSCOPBA Western Region Vice President Kenny Gold, who warned that without action, “someone will die and blood will be on their hands.”
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