Carbon Monoxide Leak Shuts Down Fulton County Jail Kitchen

On July 15th, a carbon monoxide leak was detected at the Fulton County Jail, leading to the temporary closure of the kitchen. The Atlanta Fire Rescue Department responded to the situation after employees began exhibiting symptoms of nausea, prompting an immediate evacuation of the area.

One contract employee drove herself to the hospital and was admitted, while five other contract employees received treatment on-site. All other kitchen workers, including contractors, trustees, and employees, are reported to be okay.

Sheriff Labat noted that carbon monoxide is both odorless and colorless, which made the symptoms a key factor in identifying the issue. A private contractor confirmed a high level of carbon monoxide in the kitchen, though the leak did not appear to impact other areas of the jail.

The leak was traced to one of eight kettles in the kitchen. As of 1:30 p.m. today, six of the eight kettles are out of service. The kitchen requires at least four functioning kettles to prepare up to 11,000 meals daily, depending on the population.

The jail had some food prepared in advance to handle emergencies. There is no estimated time for when the kitchen will be operational again.

This incident highlights ongoing issues with the jail’s aging and underfunded infrastructure, which has previously contributed to health concerns and incidents of violence.