Providence firefighter with cyanide poisoning speaks out

April 15, 2016 8:59 pm

By Bianca Buono

bbuono@abc6.com

@BBuonoABC6

A Providence fire captain who was in critical condition after battling a massive blaze is speaking out. Captain Joseph Fontaine suffered cyanide poisoning and spent days in the hospital after fighting that fire on Eaton Street that destroyed three multi-family homes. Twenty-six firefighters were sent to the hospital in total.

Captain Fontaine described his initial moments in the hospital two weeks ago after his oxygen levels started rapidly falling form cyanide poisoning. The captain, who’s been serving the Providence community for 31 years, was intubated and put into a medically induced coma.

Because of blustering winds the day of the fire, he and other firefighters kept working even after their air packs ran out of air; but what happened after Fontaine left the building is what may have saved his life. As he went to move one of the lines, another captain caught him, sending him flying. After that fall, the captain was experiencing knee pain, but he didn’t want to go to the hospital. Another fire was breaking out on Laurel Hill Avenue and he wanted to head that way. After much convincing, he went.

While in the hospital, Captain Fontaine, his wife Debbie, and their four children received an outpouring of support from the community, including city and state leaders. They even receiving a hand-written letter from Governor Gina Raimondo; but nothing from Providence Mayor Jorge Elorza. In fact, Captain Fontaine’s wife says she heard Elorza say that no firefighters were injured.

Now, out of the hospital, Captain Fontaine is recovering. He’s still suffering a severe cough and runs out of breath easily, but he’s determined to get back to work and he says he would do it all over again. Fontaine says he hopes to be back to work in two months.

We reached out to Mayor Elorza’s office for comment but didn’t get a response.