Junior Charlestown EMT applauded for assist with Chariho cross country emergency

A nagging injury kept Renee Fontaine from running in North Kingstown’s final cross country dual meet of the regular season on Sept. 30. But when a Chariho High School runner had a medical emergency on the course, Fontaine ran. The North Kingstown senior volunteers as a junior EMT with the Charlestown Fire District and knew she might be able to help when this call came in. She stayed with the Chariho runner until more help arrived, monitoring her breathing and her pulse. The Chariho student was eventually taken to the hospital via ambulance and is on the road to recovery now, according to Chariho athletic director Mike Shiels. Fontaine was presented a bouquet of flowers by Mike Shiels and principal Craig MacKenzie later that week as a token of the Chariho community’s thanks. “I was surprised,” Fontaine said of the flowers. “To me, it’s not really a big deal helping people. I do that all the time. I understand how they felt, but I was just surprised. I don’t mind helping others. It was very nice, but I didn’t expect anything like that.”
Rhode Island Independent

Cranston Volunteer Firefighters Museum: History on parade

PHOTOS: The Cranston Volunteer Firefighters Museum had quite a presence at Sunday’s annual Columbus Day Parade in Providence. “Frankenstein,” the nonprofit’s famed 1926 Reo that features parts from many other fire apparatus, took part in the event, along with the storied blue Meshanticut engine, and old-time hand pumper.
Cranston Herald

Woman’s body found in fire-ravaged Westerly home; son jumped to death off Connecticut bridge

The body of a woman was found Tuesday morning in the basement of her fire-ravaged home less than 12 hours after her 22-year-old son took his own life by jumping off the Q Bridge in New Haven. Westerly Police Chief Shawn Lacey said the body of Patricia A. Martell, 59, who worked as a nurse at Westerly Hospital, was badly burned from the fire, which heavily damaged the two-story, yellow colonial at 54 Tum-A-Lum Circle on Monday afternoon, but the medical examiner’s office has not yet determined her cause of death. An autopsy is planned for Wednesday morning. According to Lacey, officers had responded to the house several times over the years for assessments and well-being checks related to Scott Martell, Patricia’s son, who had struggled with mental health issues. Patricia Martell’s body was recovered from the home’s finished basement. The body of a small dog was discovered on the second floor.
Westerly Sun