Watertown Fire Official: Hydrogen Sulfide Suicides Could be a Growing Problem

Emergency responders could have been seriously injured or even killed by the hydrogen sulfide gas that a man used to kill himself in a car in Watertown, Saturday night, and the threat may become more common, said Watertown Deputy Fire Chief Tom McManus.

Fire crews responded to the parking lot on Arsenal Street Saturday evening, where said McManus, who responded to the incident. Due to the poison, fire officials called in hazardous materials response teams from Waltham and Reading.

The man inside died, in an apparent suicide, McManus said. But the gas could have injured others.

“Really, he put any first responder in danger, or any person who might come by and think they can help,” McManus said. “The police who got their first were puzzled, but luckily they kept away and called us. It is sad for the person’s family.”

McManus said the Watertown Fire Department does not identify suicide victims. He did say he was in his early 30s.

The Watertown Fire Department had never dealt with an incident where hydrogen sulfide had been used, McManus said, but firefighters had been warned about the increase using of the colorless, highly dangerous gas, which is also very flammable.

“About a year and half ago, the chief [Mario Orangio] provided us with information distributed by the Mass. Department of Fire Services that this was a new thing coming out,” McManus said.

Although it is very dangerous, hydrogen sulfide is not hard to obtain, McManus said.

“My understanding is you can go online and type in chemical suicide, and it tells you how to do this,” McManus said. “It is pretty simple, and can be made with household items.”

He knows of two other instances in the Boston area when hydrogen sulfide may have been used.

On May 17, , and left a sign on the bathroom door that said. “Poisonous Gas – call Haz-Mat."

McManus said he also heard about a recent case in Brighton.