Jakobsson To Hold Carbon Monoxide Detector Drive

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CHAMPAIGN – State Rep. Naomi Jakobsson, D-Urbana, will announce at a press conference on Monday, January 29 at 9:00 a.m. in her district office, 206 N. Randolph, Suite 120, Champaign, a carbon monoxide detector drive to assist those families who need the detectors but cannot afford them.

“Carbon monoxide detectors are just as important in a home today as smoke detectors,”

Jakobsson said. “Unfortunately, some families cannot afford to buy these detectors, so our community will work together to purchase the detectors and donate them to those in need. I urge everyone in the area to open up their hearts and their wallets and buy a detector next time you go shopping.”

A new law effective January 1 makes it mandatory to have a carbon monoxide detector in every home, and each homeowner and landlord is responsible for the purchase of the detector. With winter heating season in full force, this is the time of year when many furnaces and heaters malfunction and emit deadly carbon monoxide throughout households. The donated detectors will be collected for the next two weeks at participating stores and then will be distributed to homeowners on fixed or limited incomes, seniors and those with disabilities shortly after.

“Our community has been so generous in the past with book drives, toy drives, food drives and the like, so there is no doubt in my mind that the success of this drive will be no different than previous ones,” Jakobsson continued. “We want to get these detectors into homes right away, not just because it is the law, but because we want folks to be safe.”

Present to accept the first detector and kick off the drive will be John and Roni Replogle of Champaign.

Participating are Champaign Firefighters Local 1260, the Champaign Fire Department, Urbana Firefighters Local 1147, Urbana Fire Rescue, the City of Champaign, and the City of Urbana. Businesses participating in the drive and sites for drop off are Wal-Mart, Home Depot, Menards, Lowes, and Meijer.

For more information about the drive, please contact Jakobsson’s office at 373-5000, the City of Champaign Fire Department at 403-7212, or the Urbana Fire Rescue Services at 384-2420. To request a detector or to let us know about someone in need, call the City of Champaign Neighborhood Services Department at 403-7070 or the City of Urbana Community Development Services at 384-2447.