Carbon monoxide leak shuts down kitchen at Fulton County jail, sickens employees

FULTON COUNTY, Ga. - On Monday night, a carbon monoxide leak was discovered at the Fulton County Jail, leading to the shutdown of the kitchen by the Atlanta Fire Rescue Department, according to Fulton County Sheriff's Office. 

The incident resulted in one contract employee driving herself to the hospital, where she was admitted, while five other contract employees were treated on the scene. Fortunately, all kitchen workers, including contractors, trustees, and employees, are reported to be okay.

Sheriff Labat explained that although carbon monoxide is odorless and colorless, employees began exhibiting symptoms such as nausea, which triggered the immediate evacuation of the kitchen. A private contractor later confirmed the presence of high levels of carbon monoxide in the kitchen, though it appears the leak did not affect other areas of the jail.

The source of the leak was traced to one of the 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 working kettles to prepare the nearly 8,000 meals daily, and sometimes up to 11,000 meals, depending on the population.

Fortunately, the jail had some food prepared ahead of time for emergencies. However, there is currently no estimated time for when the kitchen will be operational again.

The sheriff says that this incident highlights the ongoing challenges posed by the aging, underfunded jail infrastructure, which has led to other resident health issues and incidents, such as stabbings with weapons fashioned from parts of the building.

Sheriff Labat has been pushing for a brand-new jail. However, the Fulton County Commission recently voted to spend $300 million to renovate the jail instead of the estimated $2 billion to replace the jail.

Sheriff Labat held a press conference after their decision was announced, saying it was like "putting a band-aid on open-heart surgery."

Since 2022, at least 30 inmates have died at the jail. The sheriff says in that same period his team found more than 4,000 homemade weapons that were created from light fixtures and other jail infrastructure. He says a new facility would all but eliminate the problem. 

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Fulton County Commissioner Bob Ellis released the following statement:  

"On July 10, the Fulton County Board of Commissioners approved a plan for our Jail that balances the safety and security of our detainees and staff with the financial needs of Fulton County Taxpayers. Simply put, renovating will result in a safer jail far faster than rebuilding, at a far lower cost. By comparison, analysis showed that a $1.7 billion jail would be among the most expensive jails in the nation, requiring a 25% tax hike, taking years to build. It would be irresponsible to continue wasting time studying an approach that is so out of balance with the needs of our community." 

"If we don't move toward the future with respect to not just how we treat people but the increase in technology, a forward-thinking process, people are going to continue to die," Sheriff Labat said.