PITTSFIELD — As two Pittsfield residents remain in intensive care for carbon monoxide poisoning, their plight is raising awareness about how dangerous the gas can be — and how important it is to take precautions.
The public is apparently taking the cautionary tale to heart: Local hardware stores yesterday reported "significant" increases in the sale of carbon monoxide detectors.
"This is happening for all the wrong reasons," said Bart Raser, co-owner of Carr Hardware in Pittsfield, who estimated the store sold more than 100 carbon monoxide detectors yesterday — well above the daily average of one or two. "In fact, we had to pull inventory from some of our other stores to keep up with the demand."
The units have been required by law for some time, but homeowners across the state have been slow in installing them.
Fire officials estimated that only about 20 percent of local homeowners in Pittsfield have installed the devices.
Wednesday, February 28, 2007
Couple overcome by carbon monoxide
A Portage couple was hospitalized over the weekend after lethal levels of carbon monoxide filled their home.
"They are very lucky to be alive," Portage Fire Chief Bill Lundy.
The unidentified couple was found unconscious in their home on Diane Street on Sunday morning by a neighbor, who called the Fire Department.When firefighters arrived, the carbon monoxide level at the front door was 344 parts per million. The average level in homes ranges from less than one ppm to 30 ppm, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
The carbon monoxide level, which escalated to 450 ppm in the home's basement, could have been lethal, said Lundy, adding that after the couple was transported to the hospital, firefighters ventilated the home until the reading was 0 ppm.
The culprit in this case was a gasoline-powered generator the couple was operating in the basement after power went out in their home due to Saturday's storm. The couple took precautions, said Lundy, by opening a door in the basement and leaving the window in the storm door open for ventilation.
Lundy said they can only theorize that the wind might have been blowing the odorless, colorless and tasteless gas back into the home instead of ventilating it outside.
"They are very lucky to be alive," Portage Fire Chief Bill Lundy.
The unidentified couple was found unconscious in their home on Diane Street on Sunday morning by a neighbor, who called the Fire Department.When firefighters arrived, the carbon monoxide level at the front door was 344 parts per million. The average level in homes ranges from less than one ppm to 30 ppm, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
The carbon monoxide level, which escalated to 450 ppm in the home's basement, could have been lethal, said Lundy, adding that after the couple was transported to the hospital, firefighters ventilated the home until the reading was 0 ppm.
The culprit in this case was a gasoline-powered generator the couple was operating in the basement after power went out in their home due to Saturday's storm. The couple took precautions, said Lundy, by opening a door in the basement and leaving the window in the storm door open for ventilation.
Lundy said they can only theorize that the wind might have been blowing the odorless, colorless and tasteless gas back into the home instead of ventilating it outside.
Protect yourself against a killer
Remodeling their home almost killed Flor Galindo and her family. Debris and dust from their work plugged the filters on their furnace, allowing a buildup of carbon monoxide. They had a carbon monoxide detector but had unplugged it because it was in the way of their work. [But if they had a battery operated portable CO detector, it wuld have been with them all the time and they could have been alerted much sooner than after they began to see ill effects on their health. Try www.transducertech.com Pocket CO]
Generators are the usual suspect when people talk about the danger of carbon monoxide, but remodeling, a ventless fireplace, an old stove or warming up a car also can increase carbon monoxide to dangerous levels.
Galindo, a 33-year-old from Ulysses, says she and her husband, Pedro, woke up with headaches one morning in October 2005. They didn't think much of it as Pedro left for work.
"All of a sudden, my youngest, my 4-year-old, just started screaming," Galindo says. She ran into Aaron's room, saw his eyes rolling back and rushed him to the hospital, where doctors said he had carbon monoxide poisoning. She rushed back home to get her daughter, Andrea, and called her husband. "We all had carbon monoxide poisoning," she says.
By chance, their oldest son, Carlos, had spent the night with his grandparents. His bedroom is in the basement, "so he would have gotten it worse," because he was closer to the furnace. "We're very blessed that he wasn't there," Galindo says.
Firefighters who checked the house found the furnace filters completely plugged and estimated that the carbon monoxide had been building up since 2 or 3 a.m. "If it had happened earlier, we probably wouldn't be here," Galindo says.
Galindo, her husband and the two youngest children were flown to Wichita to be treated in a hyperbaric chamber at Wesley Medical Center. The treatment speeds the removal of carbon monoxide from the blood.
The family seems fine, and the children have shown no lasting effects. The Galindos are taking no chances: The carbon monoxide detector was plugged in immediately, and they added additional ones near sleeping areas. They also test them regularly.
"We were blessed in that it wasn't anything bigger," Galindo says.
Generators are the usual suspect when people talk about the danger of carbon monoxide, but remodeling, a ventless fireplace, an old stove or warming up a car also can increase carbon monoxide to dangerous levels.
Galindo, a 33-year-old from Ulysses, says she and her husband, Pedro, woke up with headaches one morning in October 2005. They didn't think much of it as Pedro left for work.
"All of a sudden, my youngest, my 4-year-old, just started screaming," Galindo says. She ran into Aaron's room, saw his eyes rolling back and rushed him to the hospital, where doctors said he had carbon monoxide poisoning. She rushed back home to get her daughter, Andrea, and called her husband. "We all had carbon monoxide poisoning," she says.
By chance, their oldest son, Carlos, had spent the night with his grandparents. His bedroom is in the basement, "so he would have gotten it worse," because he was closer to the furnace. "We're very blessed that he wasn't there," Galindo says.
Firefighters who checked the house found the furnace filters completely plugged and estimated that the carbon monoxide had been building up since 2 or 3 a.m. "If it had happened earlier, we probably wouldn't be here," Galindo says.
Galindo, her husband and the two youngest children were flown to Wichita to be treated in a hyperbaric chamber at Wesley Medical Center. The treatment speeds the removal of carbon monoxide from the blood.
The family seems fine, and the children have shown no lasting effects. The Galindos are taking no chances: The carbon monoxide detector was plugged in immediately, and they added additional ones near sleeping areas. They also test them regularly.
"We were blessed in that it wasn't anything bigger," Galindo says.
Monday, February 26, 2007
Two hospitalized with carbon monoxide poisoning
Thanks to a neighbor, a Pittsfield resident and his sister are alive. He found the elderly brother and sister unconscious in their house on Dalton Avenue. Both were taken to Berkshire Medical Center, but the woman was airlifted to a Connecticut hospital for hyperbaric treatment.
"We ventilated the structure, tried to find a reason for the high levels of carbon monoxide. The Pittsfield police assisted the fire department with that investigation and during the course of the investigation they found what appeared to be a plugged up chimney," said Pittsfield Deputy Fire Chief Robert Czerwinski.
The residents did not have a carbon monoxide detector in the home -- a violation of Massachusetts state law. We talked to the neighbor who found the residents, and he said he attempted to call his neighbors several times and decided to enter when they didn't respond. He said he was shocked to find them in such a severe state.
The deputy fire chief said he doesn't see cases like this one very often.
"On occasion we might have somewhat of an elevated reading, we may shut down the heating device and tell them to contact their service provider. Very rarely do we get one to this extreme where these people were very critical shape when they left the home," said Czerwinski.
Just a few weeks ago four Albany residents were taken to the hospital after a carbon monoxide leak in their home on Elk Street. And in December a Troy couple died from a carbon monoxide in their home. Deputy Chief Czerwinski said having a detector in your home is crucial.
"They do a great deal of good. Like a smoke detector they're there to save your life," he said.
Carbon monoxide is an odorless, colorless and tasteless gas, so a detector is often the only thing that can detect a leak. And if that alarm goes off, fire officials want you to give them a call immediately.
"We ventilated the structure, tried to find a reason for the high levels of carbon monoxide. The Pittsfield police assisted the fire department with that investigation and during the course of the investigation they found what appeared to be a plugged up chimney," said Pittsfield Deputy Fire Chief Robert Czerwinski.
The residents did not have a carbon monoxide detector in the home -- a violation of Massachusetts state law. We talked to the neighbor who found the residents, and he said he attempted to call his neighbors several times and decided to enter when they didn't respond. He said he was shocked to find them in such a severe state.
The deputy fire chief said he doesn't see cases like this one very often.
"On occasion we might have somewhat of an elevated reading, we may shut down the heating device and tell them to contact their service provider. Very rarely do we get one to this extreme where these people were very critical shape when they left the home," said Czerwinski.
Just a few weeks ago four Albany residents were taken to the hospital after a carbon monoxide leak in their home on Elk Street. And in December a Troy couple died from a carbon monoxide in their home. Deputy Chief Czerwinski said having a detector in your home is crucial.
"They do a great deal of good. Like a smoke detector they're there to save your life," he said.
Carbon monoxide is an odorless, colorless and tasteless gas, so a detector is often the only thing that can detect a leak. And if that alarm goes off, fire officials want you to give them a call immediately.
Carbon monoxide alarm saves lives
A carbon monoxide detector saved the lives of several residents in a Rolling Meadows apartment building Thursday morning, fire officials said.
A gas leak set off the detector at 1:30 a.m. at 4700 Arbor Drive. Rolling Meadows firefighters arrived to find elevated levels of carbon monoxide on the first floor and high levels of the gas in the basement.
Firefighters evacuated all 30 units in the building with the help of the police department and building management. The gas leak turned out to be the result of a malfunctioning heating system in the basement.
The building was aired out with high powered fans, and the heating was shut off for the night.
There were no reported illnesses. Building management made arrangements for residents to spend the night at a local hotel.
“Carbon monoxide detectors save lives,” Rolling Meadows Fire Battalion Chief Steve Klein said.
“If the detector had not been there to go off, there would have been many people sick or worse.”
A gas leak set off the detector at 1:30 a.m. at 4700 Arbor Drive. Rolling Meadows firefighters arrived to find elevated levels of carbon monoxide on the first floor and high levels of the gas in the basement.
Firefighters evacuated all 30 units in the building with the help of the police department and building management. The gas leak turned out to be the result of a malfunctioning heating system in the basement.
The building was aired out with high powered fans, and the heating was shut off for the night.
There were no reported illnesses. Building management made arrangements for residents to spend the night at a local hotel.
“Carbon monoxide detectors save lives,” Rolling Meadows Fire Battalion Chief Steve Klein said.
“If the detector had not been there to go off, there would have been many people sick or worse.”
Wednesday, February 21, 2007
Ovens Can Be A Source Of CO Poisoning
(WCCO) When we hear of cases of carbon monoxide poisoning most of the time the cause is traced to a faulty furnace or water heater. But one Minnesota couple contacted us because their story wasn't so typical. As they learned any fuel burning appliance can produce that invisible poison.
Sick For 9½ Months
It's another round of medical tests for Larry Wagner. He's happy to finally be finding answers to the unknown. An MRI scan of his heart is another in a year-long battle with health problems for him and his wife Judy.
"We both started waking up with headaches," said Judy.
The happily-married, retired couple from Byron, Minn. had been the picture of health."We were the Nordic Track people. We were out walking, we were cross-country skiing," she said.
But soon after moving into their dream home in 2005 the nightmare began."We'd be misplacing things, losing things. You know we couldn't find things," said Larry. "On two different occasions I drove to my daughter's house in Rochester and I got lost, I couldn't find my way."
The Wagners had several carbon monoxide alarms that never sounded. [It's better to get a good industrial-grade detector first, rather than several cheap ones that don't work. Think about how much more it cost them in doctor visits, blood tests, MRI's, etc. when you can get a detector currently in use by fire departments, pilots, and commercial truck drivers for $129! www.transducertech.com] They had professionals check the furnace, the gas fireplace, even the stove for gas leaks.
"We had all these symptoms, and so many things wrong, and we were not finding a cause," said Judy.
Then one morning Judy woke up and walked downstairs."It was just a split second and just everything blew in my head," she recalled. "And I remember my thought was: this is my life."
She managed to get outside and the fresh air made her feel well enough to call the local fire department.
"Immediately he said we had a major problem with carbon monoxide. And then they started searching for it," Judy said.
The Problem
After nine-and-a-half months of suffering, their search ended where they least expected.
"The guy with the fire department said well let's look at the oven. So when he turned it on and put the monitor to the oven, it shot up and was registering 400 parts per million and was still rising. And he says that would have been lethal right there and he turned it off," recalled Larry.
Four-hundred parts per million is a lot of carbon monoxide. In fact, 400 parts per million is life threatening after just three hours of exposure. Studies show you can be exposed to harmful levels of carbon monoxide from simply turning on your gas oven.
"You know, all this time, nine-and-a-half months, and we're so sick ... Doctors are all trying to be so helpful and we're having all of these tests. And not once did we ever connect it to the evenings that I was baking," said Judy.
A study by the Minnesota Department of Commerce found most gas ovens release CO when they are first turned on. (This study was designed to look into houses that were retrofitted for sound proofing near the airport. Often when you tighten a house you can cause indoor air quality problems.)
Of the 3,000 gas ovens tested, 74 percent had a CO level greater than 150 parts per million after two minutes. 25 percent had a level greater than 150 parts per million after five minutes of operating. And CO levels stayed that high while 13 percent of the ovens were on.
Todd Clarey sells safety equipment and trains fire departments on how to use it. "When you're not getting a good clean crisp burn on a fuel it gives off this compound called carbon monoxide," he said.
He showed WCCO-TV a small monitor that detects levels of CO."This is one like an EMS officer or a first responder could wear right into your home."
Clarey said all homeowners should have their gas ovens checked when they're installed or serviced."They have equipment that can test to see if there's a problem with the CO or flue which is used to getting rid of the exhaust gas and they should be testing for that," Clarey said.
Unlike other gas burning appliances in your home there is no state or national building code that requires ovens to be directly vented to the outside. So any home that is sealed up tight and doesn't have proper air flow can have problems.
Tips When You Cook With Your Gas Oven
Anytime you turn on your gas oven you should also turn on the fan above it. If your fan does not vent to the outside experts suggest you turn on a bathroom fan, anything to circulate the bad air out.
Wagner's Wait For Test Results
Judy and Larry splurged on the same type of detector used by the fire department [You can get one too at www.transducertech.com] and they've replaced their old oven.
"With this experience, no, we couldn't go back to gas. No we have a new electric oven," said Judy.
But they're worried about the long-term health effects from their chronic exposure to CO. They're seeing Dr. Tim Henry at the Minneapolis Heart Institute. He says doctors are aware of the neurological damages CO causes, but carbon monoxide really cuts off oxygen to the entire body.
"If you aren't getting enough to your brain, you're also not getting enough to your heart," said Henry.
Like identifying the invisible gas that made them sick, the Wagner's know finding answers is the first step."We're very thankful that we're alive," said Judy.
Doctors say Judy's heart looks fine. Larry has some areas of concern. We'll continue to follow their progress.
Sick For 9½ Months
It's another round of medical tests for Larry Wagner. He's happy to finally be finding answers to the unknown. An MRI scan of his heart is another in a year-long battle with health problems for him and his wife Judy.
"We both started waking up with headaches," said Judy.
The happily-married, retired couple from Byron, Minn. had been the picture of health."We were the Nordic Track people. We were out walking, we were cross-country skiing," she said.
But soon after moving into their dream home in 2005 the nightmare began."We'd be misplacing things, losing things. You know we couldn't find things," said Larry. "On two different occasions I drove to my daughter's house in Rochester and I got lost, I couldn't find my way."
The Wagners had several carbon monoxide alarms that never sounded. [It's better to get a good industrial-grade detector first, rather than several cheap ones that don't work. Think about how much more it cost them in doctor visits, blood tests, MRI's, etc. when you can get a detector currently in use by fire departments, pilots, and commercial truck drivers for $129! www.transducertech.com] They had professionals check the furnace, the gas fireplace, even the stove for gas leaks.
"We had all these symptoms, and so many things wrong, and we were not finding a cause," said Judy.
Then one morning Judy woke up and walked downstairs."It was just a split second and just everything blew in my head," she recalled. "And I remember my thought was: this is my life."
She managed to get outside and the fresh air made her feel well enough to call the local fire department.
"Immediately he said we had a major problem with carbon monoxide. And then they started searching for it," Judy said.
The Problem
After nine-and-a-half months of suffering, their search ended where they least expected.
"The guy with the fire department said well let's look at the oven. So when he turned it on and put the monitor to the oven, it shot up and was registering 400 parts per million and was still rising. And he says that would have been lethal right there and he turned it off," recalled Larry.
Four-hundred parts per million is a lot of carbon monoxide. In fact, 400 parts per million is life threatening after just three hours of exposure. Studies show you can be exposed to harmful levels of carbon monoxide from simply turning on your gas oven.
"You know, all this time, nine-and-a-half months, and we're so sick ... Doctors are all trying to be so helpful and we're having all of these tests. And not once did we ever connect it to the evenings that I was baking," said Judy.
A study by the Minnesota Department of Commerce found most gas ovens release CO when they are first turned on. (This study was designed to look into houses that were retrofitted for sound proofing near the airport. Often when you tighten a house you can cause indoor air quality problems.)
Of the 3,000 gas ovens tested, 74 percent had a CO level greater than 150 parts per million after two minutes. 25 percent had a level greater than 150 parts per million after five minutes of operating. And CO levels stayed that high while 13 percent of the ovens were on.
Todd Clarey sells safety equipment and trains fire departments on how to use it. "When you're not getting a good clean crisp burn on a fuel it gives off this compound called carbon monoxide," he said.
He showed WCCO-TV a small monitor that detects levels of CO."This is one like an EMS officer or a first responder could wear right into your home."
Clarey said all homeowners should have their gas ovens checked when they're installed or serviced."They have equipment that can test to see if there's a problem with the CO or flue which is used to getting rid of the exhaust gas and they should be testing for that," Clarey said.
Unlike other gas burning appliances in your home there is no state or national building code that requires ovens to be directly vented to the outside. So any home that is sealed up tight and doesn't have proper air flow can have problems.
Tips When You Cook With Your Gas Oven
Anytime you turn on your gas oven you should also turn on the fan above it. If your fan does not vent to the outside experts suggest you turn on a bathroom fan, anything to circulate the bad air out.
Wagner's Wait For Test Results
Judy and Larry splurged on the same type of detector used by the fire department [You can get one too at www.transducertech.com] and they've replaced their old oven.
"With this experience, no, we couldn't go back to gas. No we have a new electric oven," said Judy.
But they're worried about the long-term health effects from their chronic exposure to CO. They're seeing Dr. Tim Henry at the Minneapolis Heart Institute. He says doctors are aware of the neurological damages CO causes, but carbon monoxide really cuts off oxygen to the entire body.
"If you aren't getting enough to your brain, you're also not getting enough to your heart," said Henry.
Like identifying the invisible gas that made them sick, the Wagner's know finding answers is the first step."We're very thankful that we're alive," said Judy.
Doctors say Judy's heart looks fine. Larry has some areas of concern. We'll continue to follow their progress.
Tuesday, February 20, 2007
No warning of deadly carbon monoxide gas
Cornwall — The elderly couple found dead from carbon monoxide poisoning Wednesday had no detector for the odorless gas that killed them.
If they had, they'd likely have survived, police and fire officials said yesterday.
The son of Joseph Lauctes, 86, and his wife, Eleanor, 74, found them dead on Wednesday afternoon. They hadn't called in more than a day so he stopped by to check on them.
They'd gone to bed and died in their sleep as the deadly gas filled their little white house on a Cornwall cul-de-sac at 12 Perry Road. Police who investigated the scene said a collapsed exhaust pipe in a wall-mounted gas heater was to blame.
By the time the Laucteses were found, carbon monoxide had filled the house to "very high levels, many times what would be considered lethal," said Cornwall fire Chief Pat Hines. But it's likely the Laucteses never knew.
"Carbon monoxide is known as the silent killer," Hines said. "It's odorless, colorless, tasteless. The only way to know it's there is to have a carbon monoxide detector."
Detectors have been mandatory in any home built or sold in New York state since 2003. Older homes are not required to have one. But it's a good idea, Hines said. The detectors are readily available at department and hardware stores.
"We recommend a carbon monoxide detector in every house," he said.
On average, 500 people a year die from carbon monoxide poisoning, according to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. It happens most often in the winter months, when people close windows and turn up heaters. It can also occur if portable generators, grills, camping heaters or kitchen stoves are used for heat.
If caught early enough, carbon monoxide poisoning can be treated. Symptoms include headaches, fatigue, nausea and flu-like symptoms.
But the key to catching it, experts say, is a simple, battery-powered detector. [www.transducertech.com]
If they had, they'd likely have survived, police and fire officials said yesterday.
The son of Joseph Lauctes, 86, and his wife, Eleanor, 74, found them dead on Wednesday afternoon. They hadn't called in more than a day so he stopped by to check on them.
They'd gone to bed and died in their sleep as the deadly gas filled their little white house on a Cornwall cul-de-sac at 12 Perry Road. Police who investigated the scene said a collapsed exhaust pipe in a wall-mounted gas heater was to blame.
By the time the Laucteses were found, carbon monoxide had filled the house to "very high levels, many times what would be considered lethal," said Cornwall fire Chief Pat Hines. But it's likely the Laucteses never knew.
"Carbon monoxide is known as the silent killer," Hines said. "It's odorless, colorless, tasteless. The only way to know it's there is to have a carbon monoxide detector."
Detectors have been mandatory in any home built or sold in New York state since 2003. Older homes are not required to have one. But it's a good idea, Hines said. The detectors are readily available at department and hardware stores.
"We recommend a carbon monoxide detector in every house," he said.
On average, 500 people a year die from carbon monoxide poisoning, according to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. It happens most often in the winter months, when people close windows and turn up heaters. It can also occur if portable generators, grills, camping heaters or kitchen stoves are used for heat.
If caught early enough, carbon monoxide poisoning can be treated. Symptoms include headaches, fatigue, nausea and flu-like symptoms.
But the key to catching it, experts say, is a simple, battery-powered detector. [www.transducertech.com]
Outages lead to carbon monoxide poisonings, fires
Three people who used a charcoal grill indoors to keep warm were hospitalized with severe carbon monoxide poisoning last night as the county continued to recover from the Valentine's Day ice storm.
The carbon monoxide poisonings occurred at 309 Center St. in the Allen Apartments complex. Firefighters were called to the address at 7:37 p.m., said Lt. John Bowes, a city Fire Department spokesman.
Once inside, they found three victims with carbon monoxide levels of 160 parts per million, Lt. Bowes said. Anything above 35 parts per million is considered lethal. [And that is when most alarms FIRST sound...at the lethal range. Wouldn't it make sense to have an alarm go off at a lower level so you can get fresh air BEFORE it hits lethal range? Try the Pocket CO from www.transducertech.com.]
The victims had been using the grill all day, Lt. Bowes said. The most seriously injured victim was a 37-year-old female who was barely conscious. The other two - a 22-year-old male and a 48-year-old male - showed signs of poisoning.
The trio was taken to Maryland Shock Trauma Center in Baltimore. Firefighters offered to transport other Allen Apartment tenants to the emergency shelter, but no one wanted to go, Lt. Bowes said.
He reminded the public not to use anything to heat their homes that wasn't designed for heating, and generators should be kept away from the home so exhaust doesn't seep in. Carbon monoxide is odorless and colorless.
The carbon monoxide poisonings occurred at 309 Center St. in the Allen Apartments complex. Firefighters were called to the address at 7:37 p.m., said Lt. John Bowes, a city Fire Department spokesman.
Once inside, they found three victims with carbon monoxide levels of 160 parts per million, Lt. Bowes said. Anything above 35 parts per million is considered lethal. [And that is when most alarms FIRST sound...at the lethal range. Wouldn't it make sense to have an alarm go off at a lower level so you can get fresh air BEFORE it hits lethal range? Try the Pocket CO from www.transducertech.com.]
The victims had been using the grill all day, Lt. Bowes said. The most seriously injured victim was a 37-year-old female who was barely conscious. The other two - a 22-year-old male and a 48-year-old male - showed signs of poisoning.
The trio was taken to Maryland Shock Trauma Center in Baltimore. Firefighters offered to transport other Allen Apartment tenants to the emergency shelter, but no one wanted to go, Lt. Bowes said.
He reminded the public not to use anything to heat their homes that wasn't designed for heating, and generators should be kept away from the home so exhaust doesn't seep in. Carbon monoxide is odorless and colorless.
Cold leaves area firefighters battling fire, ice
When an arctic blast bombarded Fond du Lac earlier this month, area firefighters responded to several blazes that were indirectly caused by individuals trying to cope with the bitter cold.
Weather plays a big part in winter fires, said Capt. Nick Sphatt of the Fond du Lac Fire Department.
Fireplaces, wood burners and other heating devices used to warm up spaces have been known to start fires.
Other problems occur when furnaces are running overtime, causing possible carbon monoxide buildup in homes, Schmitz said.“Every home should have a CO (carbon monoxide) detector,” he said.
Officials will know in coming weeks if carbon monoxide contributed to the deaths of two sisters, ages 10 and 11, who died in a rural mobile home fire in Shawano County, according to Gannett Wisconsin Newspapers.
Weather plays a big part in winter fires, said Capt. Nick Sphatt of the Fond du Lac Fire Department.
Fireplaces, wood burners and other heating devices used to warm up spaces have been known to start fires.
Other problems occur when furnaces are running overtime, causing possible carbon monoxide buildup in homes, Schmitz said.“Every home should have a CO (carbon monoxide) detector,” he said.
Officials will know in coming weeks if carbon monoxide contributed to the deaths of two sisters, ages 10 and 11, who died in a rural mobile home fire in Shawano County, according to Gannett Wisconsin Newspapers.
Thursday, February 15, 2007
Carbon Monoxide, Crafty Killer, Spreads Quickly
SEATTLE -- Local doctors are calling it the worst epidemic of carbon monoxide poisoning in the history of the United States.
As many as 1,000 Western Washington residents became ill during this winter's wind, rain and snow storms, and more than half a dozen died, including an entire family in Burien.
All fell victim to a crafty killer.
Just a week before last Christmas, neighbors and friends of a Burien family were shocked to learn that everyone in the house had collapsed overnight.
Four were found dead. One died a few weeks later. All succumbed to carbon monoxide poisoning following a terrific windstorm that knocked out power to more than one million people in the Pacific Northwest.
The culprit? A gas-powered electric generator running non-stop in the family garage.
"You know, I can't believe people die," said a family friend.
Tammie and Wayne Fagerlund can believe it. His doctors say Wayne Fagerlund was within minutes of dying in the same December storm.
Concerned about damage to his wholesale nursery near Yelm, Fagerlund had decided to ride out the windstorm in a trailer.
Then, the power went out.
Faced with a dark, cold night, Fagerlund fired up his gasoline generator.
What he didn't realize is that he placed it in a deadly spot.
"During the night (a) little trap door opened up, so fumes went up in there. The bed is … directly above where I had the generator," he said.
As the generator droned on, he began to develop a headache.
"I didn't put the two things together," he said. "I think I was getting a little rummy from the carbon monoxide, too, but it didn't click that this could be carbon monoxide poisoning."
He was found by his worried wife the next morning. She was horrified by what she saw.
"He was (lying) on the bed, just totally prone with his arms straight, his legs straight, his head up, his mouth open, his eyes open and was totally unconscious," she said. "It was like, 'Oh, my gosh. He's dead!'"
Tammie called for help.
"The first thing the medics said was, 'Turn off the generator, open the windows and get out of here.' You know, they took one look at him and said, 'carbon monoxide,'" Tammie Fagerlund said.
He was flown to the hyperbaric chamber at Seattle's Virginia Mason hospital.
He underwent immediate treatment to replace the carbon monoxide in his bloodstream with highly-pressurized oxygen.
The chamber saved Wayne Fagerlund's life, and the lives of 70 other patients brought here during that storm, suffering from carbon monoxide poisoning.
We asked the Shoreline Fire Department to demonstrate how quickly carbon monoxide can weaken, then kill.
The department started a single generator in its large and airy training center.
Firefighters use sophisticated breathing gear and carry a sensitive carbon monoxide detector any time they suspect danger.
In our test, that danger began within minutes.
Right now, it's reading 46 parts per million and climbing and our alarm goes off at 37. [37? That's way to high to just then sound the alarm...as you can see when you continue reading from there it can hit the hundreds very quickly. A good, low-level CO detector is needed here. Wonder if they know about the Pocket CO from www.transducertech.com. It's small enough for them to clip onto their belt, pocket, or lapel so carrying it is a non-issue. There really is no excuse for not having one.]
Within just 20 minutes the detector passed the century mark, making this firefighter glad this was only a test.
"Right now, it's at a real lethal range, right now," said a firefighter.
Lethal, because as Wayne Fagerlund learned, carbon monoxide is odorless and invisible. In short, it's an extremely crafty killer.
"People aren't aware of it because they can't smell it, they can't see it, and at some point they start to lose their judgment and it can kill them," said Shoreline Fire Marshal Mark Bunje.
It's a lesson Fagerlund wants everyone to learn.
"Don't think you're safe," he said.
You can become safer by following a few simple precautions:
If you must use a generator, place it outside, well away from any enclosed living spaces.
Never burn charcoal or propane inside your home or garage.
And install carbon monoxide detectors on every floor. As we've seen, it's easy to get sick or even
die from carbon monoxide, but it's a deadly danger that can be prevented.
As many as 1,000 Western Washington residents became ill during this winter's wind, rain and snow storms, and more than half a dozen died, including an entire family in Burien.
All fell victim to a crafty killer.
Just a week before last Christmas, neighbors and friends of a Burien family were shocked to learn that everyone in the house had collapsed overnight.
Four were found dead. One died a few weeks later. All succumbed to carbon monoxide poisoning following a terrific windstorm that knocked out power to more than one million people in the Pacific Northwest.
The culprit? A gas-powered electric generator running non-stop in the family garage.
"You know, I can't believe people die," said a family friend.
Tammie and Wayne Fagerlund can believe it. His doctors say Wayne Fagerlund was within minutes of dying in the same December storm.
Concerned about damage to his wholesale nursery near Yelm, Fagerlund had decided to ride out the windstorm in a trailer.
Then, the power went out.
Faced with a dark, cold night, Fagerlund fired up his gasoline generator.
What he didn't realize is that he placed it in a deadly spot.
"During the night (a) little trap door opened up, so fumes went up in there. The bed is … directly above where I had the generator," he said.
As the generator droned on, he began to develop a headache.
"I didn't put the two things together," he said. "I think I was getting a little rummy from the carbon monoxide, too, but it didn't click that this could be carbon monoxide poisoning."
He was found by his worried wife the next morning. She was horrified by what she saw.
"He was (lying) on the bed, just totally prone with his arms straight, his legs straight, his head up, his mouth open, his eyes open and was totally unconscious," she said. "It was like, 'Oh, my gosh. He's dead!'"
Tammie called for help.
"The first thing the medics said was, 'Turn off the generator, open the windows and get out of here.' You know, they took one look at him and said, 'carbon monoxide,'" Tammie Fagerlund said.
He was flown to the hyperbaric chamber at Seattle's Virginia Mason hospital.
He underwent immediate treatment to replace the carbon monoxide in his bloodstream with highly-pressurized oxygen.
The chamber saved Wayne Fagerlund's life, and the lives of 70 other patients brought here during that storm, suffering from carbon monoxide poisoning.
We asked the Shoreline Fire Department to demonstrate how quickly carbon monoxide can weaken, then kill.
The department started a single generator in its large and airy training center.
Firefighters use sophisticated breathing gear and carry a sensitive carbon monoxide detector any time they suspect danger.
In our test, that danger began within minutes.
Right now, it's reading 46 parts per million and climbing and our alarm goes off at 37. [37? That's way to high to just then sound the alarm...as you can see when you continue reading from there it can hit the hundreds very quickly. A good, low-level CO detector is needed here. Wonder if they know about the Pocket CO from www.transducertech.com. It's small enough for them to clip onto their belt, pocket, or lapel so carrying it is a non-issue. There really is no excuse for not having one.]
Within just 20 minutes the detector passed the century mark, making this firefighter glad this was only a test.
"Right now, it's at a real lethal range, right now," said a firefighter.
Lethal, because as Wayne Fagerlund learned, carbon monoxide is odorless and invisible. In short, it's an extremely crafty killer.
"People aren't aware of it because they can't smell it, they can't see it, and at some point they start to lose their judgment and it can kill them," said Shoreline Fire Marshal Mark Bunje.
It's a lesson Fagerlund wants everyone to learn.
"Don't think you're safe," he said.
You can become safer by following a few simple precautions:
If you must use a generator, place it outside, well away from any enclosed living spaces.
Never burn charcoal or propane inside your home or garage.
And install carbon monoxide detectors on every floor. As we've seen, it's easy to get sick or even
die from carbon monoxide, but it's a deadly danger that can be prevented.
Detecting carbon monoxide
[Here is one (of many) personal experience with carbon monoxide and CO detectors. Great real-life story with thankfully a happy ending!]
This is an excerpt from a personal e-mail I sent to friends and family with regard to a personal experience. I am sharing it in the hopes that it can and will potentially save lives.
I went home for lunch one day. As I approached the back door, I could hear a high-pitched sqealing noise. Thinking it was our smoke detector, I walked through the house with my hands over my ears. Main level and basement detectors checked out fine.
As I climbed the staircase to our second floor, the noise was deafening. It was our carbon monoxide detector. We've had it for eight to 10 years. We had plugged it in and never really given it a second thought. Thinking it was a problem with dust, I unplugged it, blew into it, hit the reset and plugged it back in. Voila - no more noise.
I called the Cambridge Fire Department to be on the safe side and they explained to me that I had done the right thing (vacuuming the unit is preferred). If it started to beep again, I was to call back immediately. I went back downstairs to the kitchen and made lunch. About 10 minutes later, I could hear audible beeps coming at regular intervals.
I called the fire department and explained my situation. At this point, it was advised that I leave the house immediately and close all doors behind me. They would send a crew as soon as possible. They also advised I take any pets with me. I briefly thought about my son's lizard, but felt the -18 C would have been a far worse fate. The dogs, oblivious to my concern, thought they were going for a midday walk. They were disappointed to only stand and wait in the driveway.
Not five minutes later, the fire deparment arrived (thankfully without lights and sirens). As one of the firefighters walked up the driveway, he gave the furnace vent a knock and some ice fell out. The furnace vent had been replaced three years ago, along with a new boiler. They proceeded into the house to take readings.
Sure enough, the numbers indicated carbon monixide was present. Not seriously high numbers, but a safety concern nonetheless. Had they continued to rise undetected throughout the night, we may not have woken up in the morning.
The house was aired out and the levels monitored. It was felt that the ice build-up on the vent was enough to cause the carbon monoxide to not vent properly. For once, having a century home was a blessing - the drafty basement had allowed for some ventilation in the basement.
One needs to remember that this gas is odourless. Symptoms include headaches and nausea, and are often passed off as a bug. If you're asleep, you can't recognize the symptoms.
A huge thank you to Cambridge Fire Department - saving lives on a daily basis through action and education.
Sandi Nicholls Hill
Cambridge
This is an excerpt from a personal e-mail I sent to friends and family with regard to a personal experience. I am sharing it in the hopes that it can and will potentially save lives.
I went home for lunch one day. As I approached the back door, I could hear a high-pitched sqealing noise. Thinking it was our smoke detector, I walked through the house with my hands over my ears. Main level and basement detectors checked out fine.
As I climbed the staircase to our second floor, the noise was deafening. It was our carbon monoxide detector. We've had it for eight to 10 years. We had plugged it in and never really given it a second thought. Thinking it was a problem with dust, I unplugged it, blew into it, hit the reset and plugged it back in. Voila - no more noise.
I called the Cambridge Fire Department to be on the safe side and they explained to me that I had done the right thing (vacuuming the unit is preferred). If it started to beep again, I was to call back immediately. I went back downstairs to the kitchen and made lunch. About 10 minutes later, I could hear audible beeps coming at regular intervals.
I called the fire department and explained my situation. At this point, it was advised that I leave the house immediately and close all doors behind me. They would send a crew as soon as possible. They also advised I take any pets with me. I briefly thought about my son's lizard, but felt the -18 C would have been a far worse fate. The dogs, oblivious to my concern, thought they were going for a midday walk. They were disappointed to only stand and wait in the driveway.
Not five minutes later, the fire deparment arrived (thankfully without lights and sirens). As one of the firefighters walked up the driveway, he gave the furnace vent a knock and some ice fell out. The furnace vent had been replaced three years ago, along with a new boiler. They proceeded into the house to take readings.
Sure enough, the numbers indicated carbon monixide was present. Not seriously high numbers, but a safety concern nonetheless. Had they continued to rise undetected throughout the night, we may not have woken up in the morning.
The house was aired out and the levels monitored. It was felt that the ice build-up on the vent was enough to cause the carbon monoxide to not vent properly. For once, having a century home was a blessing - the drafty basement had allowed for some ventilation in the basement.
One needs to remember that this gas is odourless. Symptoms include headaches and nausea, and are often passed off as a bug. If you're asleep, you can't recognize the symptoms.
A huge thank you to Cambridge Fire Department - saving lives on a daily basis through action and education.
Sandi Nicholls Hill
Cambridge
Family taken to hospital after discovering dangerous fumes in home
HAVERHILL - Two adults and four children were taken to the hospital yesterday afternoon after a faulty heating unit at 104 Portland St. emitted enough carbon monoxide to cause a CO detector to sound.
Deputy fire Chief Brian Moriarty said a 911 call was placed at 2:06 p.m. by residents from the apartment reporting that a carbon monoxide alarm had sounded. He said firefighters from the 16th Avenue fire station were dispatched, along with an ambulance.
Moriarty said he also went to the apartment and when he arrived the adults and children were "awake and alert."
"They were transported to Merrimack Valley Hospital for evaluation," he said. He would not provide the names of the affected adults or children, saying they are protected by privacy laws.
Police were not called to the scene, so they did not have the victims' identifications.
Firefighters who responded brought meters that test the level of the colorless, odorless and poisonous gas in parts per million. Acting fire Chief Rick Borden said the meters indicated a "significant" level of carbon monoxide.
Moriarty said the gas company was contacted and that workers arrived at the house and shut down the heating system in order to service it. He said he was not sure if it was a gas or oil heating system. [Doesn't matter...either one can emit CO if malfunctioning.]
The other apartments in the building were determined to be safe.
Deputy fire Chief Brian Moriarty said a 911 call was placed at 2:06 p.m. by residents from the apartment reporting that a carbon monoxide alarm had sounded. He said firefighters from the 16th Avenue fire station were dispatched, along with an ambulance.
Moriarty said he also went to the apartment and when he arrived the adults and children were "awake and alert."
"They were transported to Merrimack Valley Hospital for evaluation," he said. He would not provide the names of the affected adults or children, saying they are protected by privacy laws.
Police were not called to the scene, so they did not have the victims' identifications.
Firefighters who responded brought meters that test the level of the colorless, odorless and poisonous gas in parts per million. Acting fire Chief Rick Borden said the meters indicated a "significant" level of carbon monoxide.
Moriarty said the gas company was contacted and that workers arrived at the house and shut down the heating system in order to service it. He said he was not sure if it was a gas or oil heating system. [Doesn't matter...either one can emit CO if malfunctioning.]
The other apartments in the building were determined to be safe.
Madla's widow pushes fire detector bill in Austin
[Joining the ranks of Illinois, Minnesota, and Alaska, Texas is now the lastest addition to the number of states proposing a mandatory carbon monoxide detector law. As I said in previous posts...it's only a matter of time before the whole country has them. It would be best to get a good one now before prices skyrocket! Try the Pocket CO from www.transducertech.com.]
Many in San Antonio were shocked after learning that state Sen. Frank Madla, his granddaughter and mother-in-law were killed in a fire last year.
From those deaths, some hope lives will be saved through a new law proposed Wednesday in Austin.
It was Thanksgiving night when it happened. Sparked by candles left burning, fire tore through
Helen Madla's home, taking the lives of her husband, mother and granddaughter. Helen barely survived herself.
Today, she was joined by state Sen. Leticia Van de Putte, D-San Antonio, as she proposed a law that will require all homes built or sold after Jan. 1, 2008 to have a smoke detector and carbon monoxide alarm.
Many in San Antonio were shocked after learning that state Sen. Frank Madla, his granddaughter and mother-in-law were killed in a fire last year.
From those deaths, some hope lives will be saved through a new law proposed Wednesday in Austin.
It was Thanksgiving night when it happened. Sparked by candles left burning, fire tore through
Helen Madla's home, taking the lives of her husband, mother and granddaughter. Helen barely survived herself.
Today, she was joined by state Sen. Leticia Van de Putte, D-San Antonio, as she proposed a law that will require all homes built or sold after Jan. 1, 2008 to have a smoke detector and carbon monoxide alarm.
Wednesday, February 14, 2007
Classes resume in Jenkins after leak
[I think the words "tragedy averted" just does not sum it up properly, but this could have been MUCH worse than it was! Read below...]
Jenkins Hall classes will resume Wednesday after Friday's carbon monoxide leak.
All classes in Jenkins Hall will meet at regular times and rooms Wednesday, Rosalyn A. Templeton, executive dean of the College of Education and Human Services, said.
Classes in Jenkins Hall have been displaced to other buildings since last Friday's carbon monoxide leak in the boiler room.
"The boiler has been repaired and a new boiler is to arrive in the next six days," Templeton, said. Mark Cutlip, Physical Plant director, said it is safe for students and faculty to return to Jenkins Hall.
"The carbon monoxide levels were low in the boiler room and were not even detected by the carbon monoxide detectors," Cutlip said.
The carbon monoxide levels in last Friday's leak were only detected by an air quality test. [THIS is why getting a good, low-level CO detector is so vitally important. They more than likely had one of those $20 or $40 ones you can find in virtually every hardware and grocery store. Check out www.transducertech.com for a good, accurate, low-level CO detector. Think about it this way...spend the money to get a high quality detector now, or be faced with problems like these over and over again, costing much more in the long run.]
Jenkins Hall does not have carbon monoxide detectors on its main floors.
The only detector is located in the boiler room, which would be the first place carbon monoxide would need to be detected, Cutlip said.
"That monoxide detector is monitored 24 hours," he said. "It can check the levels before monoxide goes up to the main floors."
Carbon monoxide detectors are installed in the newer buildings around campus because of safety and fire codes.
Jenkins Hall classes will resume Wednesday after Friday's carbon monoxide leak.
All classes in Jenkins Hall will meet at regular times and rooms Wednesday, Rosalyn A. Templeton, executive dean of the College of Education and Human Services, said.
Classes in Jenkins Hall have been displaced to other buildings since last Friday's carbon monoxide leak in the boiler room.
"The boiler has been repaired and a new boiler is to arrive in the next six days," Templeton, said. Mark Cutlip, Physical Plant director, said it is safe for students and faculty to return to Jenkins Hall.
"The carbon monoxide levels were low in the boiler room and were not even detected by the carbon monoxide detectors," Cutlip said.
The carbon monoxide levels in last Friday's leak were only detected by an air quality test. [THIS is why getting a good, low-level CO detector is so vitally important. They more than likely had one of those $20 or $40 ones you can find in virtually every hardware and grocery store. Check out www.transducertech.com for a good, accurate, low-level CO detector. Think about it this way...spend the money to get a high quality detector now, or be faced with problems like these over and over again, costing much more in the long run.]
Jenkins Hall does not have carbon monoxide detectors on its main floors.
The only detector is located in the boiler room, which would be the first place carbon monoxide would need to be detected, Cutlip said.
"That monoxide detector is monitored 24 hours," he said. "It can check the levels before monoxide goes up to the main floors."
Carbon monoxide detectors are installed in the newer buildings around campus because of safety and fire codes.
Hard freeze coming
[More surprising than the fact that the Florida Panhandle is getting freezing cold weather is that this article actually has to remind people to NOT use charcoal grills INDOORS!! And yes, obviously, if you've been visiting this blog for a while you know my stand on getting a carbon monoxide detector. But for those of you who are new, let me sum it up for you...GET ONE! It just may save your life and/or the lives of people you care about. Click the top link to the left for Tranducer Technology, Inc. They make a really good one!]
Officials with Santa Rosa County Emergency Management are urging residents to prepare for a hard freeze which is likely to occur Thursday night and Friday morning in the Florida Panhandle. Cold weather safety actions:
-- Stay indoors and use safe heating sources.
-- Keep space heaters and candles away from all flammable materials, such as curtains and furniture, and install smoke detectors.
-- Do not use charcoal or other fuel-burning devices, such as grills that produce carbon monoxide, indoors. Install a carbon monoxide detector.
-- Say dry and in wind protected areas when outdoors.
-- Wear multiple layers of loose-fitting clothes.
-- Drink plenty of liquids and eat high-calorie foods.
Officials with Santa Rosa County Emergency Management are urging residents to prepare for a hard freeze which is likely to occur Thursday night and Friday morning in the Florida Panhandle. Cold weather safety actions:
-- Stay indoors and use safe heating sources.
-- Keep space heaters and candles away from all flammable materials, such as curtains and furniture, and install smoke detectors.
-- Do not use charcoal or other fuel-burning devices, such as grills that produce carbon monoxide, indoors. Install a carbon monoxide detector.
-- Say dry and in wind protected areas when outdoors.
-- Wear multiple layers of loose-fitting clothes.
-- Drink plenty of liquids and eat high-calorie foods.
Tuesday, February 13, 2007
More help needed on poison gas safety
GAS suppliers and mortgage and insurance companies are being urged to fund a nationwide campaign about the dangers of carbon monoxide poisoning.
And people caught breaking the law doing dodgy work on gas appliances which lead to serious injury or death must face harsher punishments.
The plea came at the launch of a major campaign in Kirklees warning of the dangers and how to avoid them.
The campaign - three years after the death from carbon monoxide poisoning of 10-year-old Fartown boy Dominic Rodgers - will see his photograph on buses across West Yorkshire.
And people caught breaking the law doing dodgy work on gas appliances which lead to serious injury or death must face harsher punishments.
The plea came at the launch of a major campaign in Kirklees warning of the dangers and how to avoid them.
The campaign - three years after the death from carbon monoxide poisoning of 10-year-old Fartown boy Dominic Rodgers - will see his photograph on buses across West Yorkshire.
Monday, February 12, 2007
Carbon monoxide detector saved family's life
February 8, 2007 - It was as close a call as you can get, and live to tell the tale. Back from the hospital Wednesday afternoon, the Wilsons, an Ohio family of five, faced the reality of having been poisoned by a lethal dose of carbon monoxide from a broken furnace.
A check of the family's old carbon monoxide detector mistakenly showed it was working, but still Alyson Wilson knew something wasn't right.
The family's new carbon monoxide detector started going off right away. The fire department showed up and told the family to get out.
For now, the Wilsons are relying on a kerosene heater until a new furnace can be installed. The carbon monoxide detector that saved them now has to be replaced because it became so saturated with the high carbon monoxide levels in their home. [and that's because they had one of those $40 or $50 CO detectors...if you buy a better carbon monoxide detector in the beginning, you don't have those saturation problems, saving you from having to replace the whole detector over and over again. Check out the Pocket CO from www.transducertech.com, no saturation problems, and they even have a 2 year warranty on the whole instrument.]
A check of the family's old carbon monoxide detector mistakenly showed it was working, but still Alyson Wilson knew something wasn't right.
The family's new carbon monoxide detector started going off right away. The fire department showed up and told the family to get out.
For now, the Wilsons are relying on a kerosene heater until a new furnace can be installed. The carbon monoxide detector that saved them now has to be replaced because it became so saturated with the high carbon monoxide levels in their home. [and that's because they had one of those $40 or $50 CO detectors...if you buy a better carbon monoxide detector in the beginning, you don't have those saturation problems, saving you from having to replace the whole detector over and over again. Check out the Pocket CO from www.transducertech.com, no saturation problems, and they even have a 2 year warranty on the whole instrument.]
Avoid Carbon Monoxide Poisoning
Every year thousands of people die from carbon monoxide poisoning. It is an odorless, colorless and tasteless gas called "The Silent Killer." It is the number one source of accidental poisoning deaths. Symptoms of poisoning include headaches, nausea, dizziness and fatigue.
More than 80 percent of homes contain an item that poses a carbon monoxide threat. Your furnace, kerosene space heater, wood stove, fireplace and water heater may all produce deadly levels of carbon monoxide. Therefore, it is vital that you have a professional perform maintenance annually. Signs that your furnace may not be functioning safely include an orange flame or blocked ventilation.
In addition to having a professional check each of these, you should be sure an emergency cut-off switch and carbon monoxide detector are present on each level of your home, especially near your bedrooms.
Divine Truth, a Journeyman Certified HVAC Technician from Atlantic Heating & Cooling, prefers carbon monoxide detectors with a digital display. The digital display allows you to identify increases in carbon monoxide levels early. Thus, you're able to remedy the problem before levels become poisonous. [Pocket CO has digital display, and a range of 0-600ppm]
If you carbon monoxide alarm sounds or you have develop symptoms of poisoning, call 911 immediately and seek fresh air outside of your home. Once emergency officials arrive, they will identify the source of the carbon monoxide and ensure that your home is safe before you go back inside.
More than 80 percent of homes contain an item that poses a carbon monoxide threat. Your furnace, kerosene space heater, wood stove, fireplace and water heater may all produce deadly levels of carbon monoxide. Therefore, it is vital that you have a professional perform maintenance annually. Signs that your furnace may not be functioning safely include an orange flame or blocked ventilation.
In addition to having a professional check each of these, you should be sure an emergency cut-off switch and carbon monoxide detector are present on each level of your home, especially near your bedrooms.
Divine Truth, a Journeyman Certified HVAC Technician from Atlantic Heating & Cooling, prefers carbon monoxide detectors with a digital display. The digital display allows you to identify increases in carbon monoxide levels early. Thus, you're able to remedy the problem before levels become poisonous. [Pocket CO has digital display, and a range of 0-600ppm]
If you carbon monoxide alarm sounds or you have develop symptoms of poisoning, call 911 immediately and seek fresh air outside of your home. Once emergency officials arrive, they will identify the source of the carbon monoxide and ensure that your home is safe before you go back inside.
Poorly parrot helped save family’s lives
A FIFE FAMILY told yesterday of how their pet parrot saved their lives as their home filled with deadly carbon monoxide fumes.
Already groggy from the gas, it was only when they noticed 10-year-old cockatoo Georgie had been sick that they realised something was seriously wrong.
The family of three from Dalgety Bay, who have asked not to be named, called the emergency services and collapsed just as the ambulance arrived.
Another few minutes and they would almost certainly all have been dead.
They had such a close brush with death they have urged everyone to make sure their home is fitted with a carbon monoxide detector.
The drama began on Saturday morning when the family woke up feeling unwell. Not realising there was anything seriously wrong they went back to bed to try to sleep it off.
The husband told The Courier, “I woke up with a really bad headache and so did my wife and daughter. We went back to bed for a couple of hours.”
Later that morning he got up and as he pottered about in the kitchen his wife stayed in bed. She noticed the parrot, who has a perch in their bedroom, had been sick.
“I thought he might have choked on a pecan nut, so I made sure he’d brought everything up,” she said. The next minute she began to shake.
When her husband came back in to the bedroom he began to realise something was seriously wrong.
He shouted to their daughter, who was in her bedroom. “She never appeared,” he said. “She just told me, ‘I can’t move.’
“I looked at the parrot and he had his beak open, as if he was gasping for air and he’s never ill.
“That’s when I thought, ‘I’m ill, my wife’s ill and my daughter’s ill: it must be gas.’
“By this time I had a really bad headache and my chest was sore, so I grabbed the phone and called the ambulance. I thought I was having a heart attack.”
He was told to put his wife, who had passed out by that time, into the recovery position.
“It was difficult to think straight, but I managed to open the bedroom window and went to open the back door,” he said.
“By this time my head’s like it’s coming off and the pain in my chest was really bad. It was like walking on cotton wool...I couldn’t feel my feet on the floor.”
The ambulance arrived and, just as he let one of the paramedics in, he collapsed in a heap in the hall.
Their daughter, who is a nurse, was on the point of collapse and was trying to crawl out of her room. She had realised something was seriously wrong and sent a text message to her sister asking for help.
Her sister thought it was a joke at first, but jumped in her car and drove to the family home from Edinburgh. When she arrived she saw the ambulance and fire engines outside her parents’ house and immediately feared the worst.
Her parents and sister were carried out of the house and put in the ambulance.
The level of carbon monoxide in the house was so bad that within minutes of the emergency services arriving and going into the house the crew had begun to complain of feeling dizzy as well.
The family were rushed to Queen Margaret Hospital in Dunfermline where they were detained overnight for observation.
They were given oxygen, and samples were taken at regular intervals to check on the level of carbon monoxide in their blood.
Eventually they were allowed home and re-united with Georgie. All three are convinced they owe their lives to the cockatoo.
“If it hadn’t been for him sitting there with his beak open we’d all be dead,” the man said. “It’s amazing, we all owe our lives to a bird.”
They are still trying to get to the bottom of what happened. Their heating engineer has been round to check their boiler and can’t find anything wrong with it.
The device is only 10 years old and gets serviced each year.
One theory is that Saturday morning’s unusually high winds may have caused the fumes to blow back into the house.
The one thing they do know is they’ll be getting a carbon monoxide detector fitted as soon as possible, and have urged others to do likewise. [Pocket CO from www.transducertech.com or www.quantumfields.com]
“I didn’t even know such things existed,” the woman said. “If I’d known, I would have had one installed.
“I think everybody should have one of these things.
“Carbon monoxide is odourless and tasteless and your life could be over before you know about it. If we’d been asleep we would have been dead.”
Her husband added, “You hear about things like this, but you never think it will happen to you, but we found out the hard way it can.”
Already groggy from the gas, it was only when they noticed 10-year-old cockatoo Georgie had been sick that they realised something was seriously wrong.
The family of three from Dalgety Bay, who have asked not to be named, called the emergency services and collapsed just as the ambulance arrived.
Another few minutes and they would almost certainly all have been dead.
They had such a close brush with death they have urged everyone to make sure their home is fitted with a carbon monoxide detector.
The drama began on Saturday morning when the family woke up feeling unwell. Not realising there was anything seriously wrong they went back to bed to try to sleep it off.
The husband told The Courier, “I woke up with a really bad headache and so did my wife and daughter. We went back to bed for a couple of hours.”
Later that morning he got up and as he pottered about in the kitchen his wife stayed in bed. She noticed the parrot, who has a perch in their bedroom, had been sick.
“I thought he might have choked on a pecan nut, so I made sure he’d brought everything up,” she said. The next minute she began to shake.
When her husband came back in to the bedroom he began to realise something was seriously wrong.
He shouted to their daughter, who was in her bedroom. “She never appeared,” he said. “She just told me, ‘I can’t move.’
“I looked at the parrot and he had his beak open, as if he was gasping for air and he’s never ill.
“That’s when I thought, ‘I’m ill, my wife’s ill and my daughter’s ill: it must be gas.’
“By this time I had a really bad headache and my chest was sore, so I grabbed the phone and called the ambulance. I thought I was having a heart attack.”
He was told to put his wife, who had passed out by that time, into the recovery position.
“It was difficult to think straight, but I managed to open the bedroom window and went to open the back door,” he said.
“By this time my head’s like it’s coming off and the pain in my chest was really bad. It was like walking on cotton wool...I couldn’t feel my feet on the floor.”
The ambulance arrived and, just as he let one of the paramedics in, he collapsed in a heap in the hall.
Their daughter, who is a nurse, was on the point of collapse and was trying to crawl out of her room. She had realised something was seriously wrong and sent a text message to her sister asking for help.
Her sister thought it was a joke at first, but jumped in her car and drove to the family home from Edinburgh. When she arrived she saw the ambulance and fire engines outside her parents’ house and immediately feared the worst.
Her parents and sister were carried out of the house and put in the ambulance.
The level of carbon monoxide in the house was so bad that within minutes of the emergency services arriving and going into the house the crew had begun to complain of feeling dizzy as well.
The family were rushed to Queen Margaret Hospital in Dunfermline where they were detained overnight for observation.
They were given oxygen, and samples were taken at regular intervals to check on the level of carbon monoxide in their blood.
Eventually they were allowed home and re-united with Georgie. All three are convinced they owe their lives to the cockatoo.
“If it hadn’t been for him sitting there with his beak open we’d all be dead,” the man said. “It’s amazing, we all owe our lives to a bird.”
They are still trying to get to the bottom of what happened. Their heating engineer has been round to check their boiler and can’t find anything wrong with it.
The device is only 10 years old and gets serviced each year.
One theory is that Saturday morning’s unusually high winds may have caused the fumes to blow back into the house.
The one thing they do know is they’ll be getting a carbon monoxide detector fitted as soon as possible, and have urged others to do likewise. [Pocket CO from www.transducertech.com or www.quantumfields.com]
“I didn’t even know such things existed,” the woman said. “If I’d known, I would have had one installed.
“I think everybody should have one of these things.
“Carbon monoxide is odourless and tasteless and your life could be over before you know about it. If we’d been asleep we would have been dead.”
Her husband added, “You hear about things like this, but you never think it will happen to you, but we found out the hard way it can.”
Carbon monoxide detector once again proves to be life-saver
''This family is very, very lucky,'' said Elyria Fire Department Capt. Joe Pronesti, and he couldn't be more correct.
He was speaking earlier this week about the Wilsons on Southwood Drive, a family of five who came out OK after being treated for accidental carbon monoxide exposure.
Their good fortune should be a safety reminder for the rest of us about the need to have working carbon monoxide detectors in our homes, as well as smoke detectors.The Wilsons had a carbon monoxide detector, and its alarm prompted them to call the fire department, which was exactly the right thing to do.
Each year, accidental carbon monoxide poisoning kills about 500 Americans and sickens several thousand more, according to state safety officials.Pronesti said a furnace vent pipe in the Wilson home froze, preventing the deadly gas from escaping to the outdoors. Instead, the carbon monoxide began to accumulate inside their house.
Carbon monoxide, called the ''silent killer,'' is colorless, odorless and without taste. When people breathe it, the carbon monoxide latches itself tightly to the key spots in red blood cells where oxygen normally is supposed to ride on its life-sustaining journey to vital organs.
Symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning mimic the flu, so it can go unsuspected. The Wilsons told firefighters that they had been feeling sick for about a week.As carbon monoxide begins to build up in the bloodstream, people experience symptoms that can include headaches, dizziness, nausea, vomiting, weakness, chest pains and confusion, eventually leading to loss of consciousness, coma and death, safety officials note. Lethargic victims, don't realize they're in danger and just doze off, never to awaken.
Carbon monoxide is a product of combustion and is found in the fumes given off by cars, trucks, small gasoline engines (like those that run mowers and portable generators), stoves, lanterns, gas ranges, burning charcoal, fireplaces and wood stoves, safety officials warn.
Frigid winter days ahead mean families need to follow winter safety precautions that include proper use of carbon monoxide detectors and smoke detectors.
He was speaking earlier this week about the Wilsons on Southwood Drive, a family of five who came out OK after being treated for accidental carbon monoxide exposure.
Their good fortune should be a safety reminder for the rest of us about the need to have working carbon monoxide detectors in our homes, as well as smoke detectors.The Wilsons had a carbon monoxide detector, and its alarm prompted them to call the fire department, which was exactly the right thing to do.
Each year, accidental carbon monoxide poisoning kills about 500 Americans and sickens several thousand more, according to state safety officials.Pronesti said a furnace vent pipe in the Wilson home froze, preventing the deadly gas from escaping to the outdoors. Instead, the carbon monoxide began to accumulate inside their house.
Carbon monoxide, called the ''silent killer,'' is colorless, odorless and without taste. When people breathe it, the carbon monoxide latches itself tightly to the key spots in red blood cells where oxygen normally is supposed to ride on its life-sustaining journey to vital organs.
Symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning mimic the flu, so it can go unsuspected. The Wilsons told firefighters that they had been feeling sick for about a week.As carbon monoxide begins to build up in the bloodstream, people experience symptoms that can include headaches, dizziness, nausea, vomiting, weakness, chest pains and confusion, eventually leading to loss of consciousness, coma and death, safety officials note. Lethargic victims, don't realize they're in danger and just doze off, never to awaken.
Carbon monoxide is a product of combustion and is found in the fumes given off by cars, trucks, small gasoline engines (like those that run mowers and portable generators), stoves, lanterns, gas ranges, burning charcoal, fireplaces and wood stoves, safety officials warn.
Frigid winter days ahead mean families need to follow winter safety precautions that include proper use of carbon monoxide detectors and smoke detectors.
Carbon monoxide detector once again proves to be life-saver
''This family is very, very lucky,'' said Elyria Fire Department Capt. Joe Pronesti, and he couldn't be more correct.
He was speaking earlier this week about the Wilsons on Southwood Drive, a family of five who came out OK after being treated for accidental carbon monoxide exposure.
Their good fortune should be a safety reminder for the rest of us about the need to have working carbon monoxide detectors in our homes, as well as smoke detectors.The Wilsons had a carbon monoxide detector, and its alarm prompted them to call the fire department, which was exactly the right thing to do.
Each year, accidental carbon monoxide poisoning kills about 500 Americans and sickens several thousand more, according to state safety officials.Pronesti said a furnace vent pipe in the Wilson home froze, preventing the deadly gas from escaping to the outdoors. Instead, the carbon monoxide began to accumulate inside their house.
Carbon monoxide, called the ''silent killer,'' is colorless, odorless and without taste. When people breathe it, the carbon monoxide latches itself tightly to the key spots in red blood cells where oxygen normally is supposed to ride on its life-sustaining journey to vital organs.
Symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning mimic the flu, so it can go unsuspected. The Wilsons told firefighters that they had been feeling sick for about a week.As carbon monoxide begins to build up in the bloodstream, people experience symptoms that can include headaches, dizziness, nausea, vomiting, weakness, chest pains and confusion, eventually leading to loss of consciousness, coma and death, safety officials note. Lethargic victims, don't realize they're in danger and just doze off, never to awaken.
Carbon monoxide is a product of combustion and is found in the fumes given off by cars, trucks, small gasoline engines (like those that run mowers and portable generators), stoves, lanterns, gas ranges, burning charcoal, fireplaces and wood stoves, safety officials warn.
Frigid winter days ahead mean families need to follow winter safety precautions that include proper use of carbon monoxide detectors and smoke detectors.
He was speaking earlier this week about the Wilsons on Southwood Drive, a family of five who came out OK after being treated for accidental carbon monoxide exposure.
Their good fortune should be a safety reminder for the rest of us about the need to have working carbon monoxide detectors in our homes, as well as smoke detectors.The Wilsons had a carbon monoxide detector, and its alarm prompted them to call the fire department, which was exactly the right thing to do.
Each year, accidental carbon monoxide poisoning kills about 500 Americans and sickens several thousand more, according to state safety officials.Pronesti said a furnace vent pipe in the Wilson home froze, preventing the deadly gas from escaping to the outdoors. Instead, the carbon monoxide began to accumulate inside their house.
Carbon monoxide, called the ''silent killer,'' is colorless, odorless and without taste. When people breathe it, the carbon monoxide latches itself tightly to the key spots in red blood cells where oxygen normally is supposed to ride on its life-sustaining journey to vital organs.
Symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning mimic the flu, so it can go unsuspected. The Wilsons told firefighters that they had been feeling sick for about a week.As carbon monoxide begins to build up in the bloodstream, people experience symptoms that can include headaches, dizziness, nausea, vomiting, weakness, chest pains and confusion, eventually leading to loss of consciousness, coma and death, safety officials note. Lethargic victims, don't realize they're in danger and just doze off, never to awaken.
Carbon monoxide is a product of combustion and is found in the fumes given off by cars, trucks, small gasoline engines (like those that run mowers and portable generators), stoves, lanterns, gas ranges, burning charcoal, fireplaces and wood stoves, safety officials warn.
Frigid winter days ahead mean families need to follow winter safety precautions that include proper use of carbon monoxide detectors and smoke detectors.
Carbon monoxide likely killed girls in Shawano fire
Two sisters killed in a fire at their rural mobile home on Monday night likely died of carbon monoxide poisoning, Shawano County Coroner Mike Jesse said today.
A blood sample he took from one victim showed a 65 percent carbon monoxide level. That means they might have died in their sleep from inhaling lethal fumes. Further details are expected this afternoon when autopsies on the girls are finished, Jesse said.
Services are Friday for Maria Garcia-Case, 11, and Jacqueline Garcia-Case, 10. They died in the fire at their home at N3118 Spruce Road in the town of Belle Plaine, about seven miles southwest of Shawano.The girls were home alone when the blaze was reported at 11:40 p.m.
Their mother, Cheryl Case, 33, who had been at work, and her boyfriend, Christopher Ruehle, 27, were heading home when the fire was reported. They arrived shortly after firefighters. Case told investigators she called the girls about 9:30 p.m. Monday and they were getting ready for bed.
Investigators said a wood-burning stove in the basement was the only heating system in the home and may be linked to the fire, but the investigation isn’t done, Steve Conradt, chief deputy of the Shawano County Sheriff’s Department.
Conradt said today Case told investigators the home had a smoke alarm and a carbon monoxide detector that were working when checked two months ago.The girls apparently had been sleeping upstairs when the fire erupted.
Their bodies were found in the basement, the upstairs floor having collapsed into the basement.
A blood sample he took from one victim showed a 65 percent carbon monoxide level. That means they might have died in their sleep from inhaling lethal fumes. Further details are expected this afternoon when autopsies on the girls are finished, Jesse said.
Services are Friday for Maria Garcia-Case, 11, and Jacqueline Garcia-Case, 10. They died in the fire at their home at N3118 Spruce Road in the town of Belle Plaine, about seven miles southwest of Shawano.The girls were home alone when the blaze was reported at 11:40 p.m.
Their mother, Cheryl Case, 33, who had been at work, and her boyfriend, Christopher Ruehle, 27, were heading home when the fire was reported. They arrived shortly after firefighters. Case told investigators she called the girls about 9:30 p.m. Monday and they were getting ready for bed.
Investigators said a wood-burning stove in the basement was the only heating system in the home and may be linked to the fire, but the investigation isn’t done, Steve Conradt, chief deputy of the Shawano County Sheriff’s Department.
Conradt said today Case told investigators the home had a smoke alarm and a carbon monoxide detector that were working when checked two months ago.The girls apparently had been sleeping upstairs when the fire erupted.
Their bodies were found in the basement, the upstairs floor having collapsed into the basement.
2 Die From Possible Carbon Monoxide Poisoning
PHILADELPHIA -- Two 65-year-old women were found dead Thursday in a Roxborough home, and police believe they were killed by carbon monoxide poisoning.
The husband of one of the women found them at about 9:15 a.m. in the house on the 200 block of Rock Street, police said.
One woman was in the living room, the other was in a bedroom.
Police found nothing suspicious at the scene and said neither woman showed signs of trauma.
The Fire Department said firefighters determined fumes were involved but had not yet established if they were carbon monoxide.
The husband of one of the women found them at about 9:15 a.m. in the house on the 200 block of Rock Street, police said.
One woman was in the living room, the other was in a bedroom.
Police found nothing suspicious at the scene and said neither woman showed signs of trauma.
The Fire Department said firefighters determined fumes were involved but had not yet established if they were carbon monoxide.
Wednesday, February 7, 2007
State lays down law on carbon monoxide alarms
[Yet another state makes CO detectors mandatory! At this rate all 50 states will have a law like this on the books by the end of 2008.]
You can't see it. You can't smell it. But potentially fatal carbon monoxide may be seeping out of the appliances that keep many Juneau residents warm.
Since Jan. 1, 2005, state law has required carbon monoxide alarms in houses and apartments with carbon-based fuel appliances, such as furnaces, fireplaces, wood stoves and water heaters.
This year, the law will be fine-tuned and is being written into state safety codes.
The codes will be clearer than the current law and will detail what kind of homes are required to have the detectors, according to Mahlon Greene, a spokesman for the Alaska Division of Fire Prevention.
"Before, state statute said you had to have them in all required structures," Greene said. "It was kind of vague. This breaks it down, explaining what every little part of it means."
Details in the proposed codes include the following: At least one carbon monoxide detector will be installed on each floor of houses with a "combustion appliance" or an attached garage. If a
floor level contains a bedroom, at least one detector must be immediately outside the bedroom.
The alarms, which cost about $70 locally, should be installed next to rooms containing boilers, water heaters, furnaces and other carbon-based heating appliances, or inside a house near the garage door.
Exceptions are made for houses with electrical appliances and apartment complexes with carbon heating equipment located in a room separate from the building.
A set of proposed codes are being analyzed by the Department of Law and will be sent to a legislative committee for approval, Greene said. The final approval comes from the lieutenant governor.
The 2005 law was driven by the death of a family of five in Anchorage, Greene said.
"They had a fairly new home, but the entire family died of carbon monoxide poisoning," he said.
Juneau has not had deaths linked to carbon monoxide recently, Fire Marshal Rich Etheridge said. He and some volunteers have gone door-to-door in past months to educate people about alarms, especially fire alarms.
"For the most part, people are becoming more compliant," Etheridge said.
The need for compliance is vital due to the difficulty of detecting carbon monoxide. The gas can build up quietly before causing flu-like symptoms and death.
"It's colorless and odorless, so you don't know you have it without a detection device," Etheridge said. "If you wait for symptoms, it may be too late."
You can't see it. You can't smell it. But potentially fatal carbon monoxide may be seeping out of the appliances that keep many Juneau residents warm.
Since Jan. 1, 2005, state law has required carbon monoxide alarms in houses and apartments with carbon-based fuel appliances, such as furnaces, fireplaces, wood stoves and water heaters.
This year, the law will be fine-tuned and is being written into state safety codes.
The codes will be clearer than the current law and will detail what kind of homes are required to have the detectors, according to Mahlon Greene, a spokesman for the Alaska Division of Fire Prevention.
"Before, state statute said you had to have them in all required structures," Greene said. "It was kind of vague. This breaks it down, explaining what every little part of it means."
Details in the proposed codes include the following: At least one carbon monoxide detector will be installed on each floor of houses with a "combustion appliance" or an attached garage. If a
floor level contains a bedroom, at least one detector must be immediately outside the bedroom.
The alarms, which cost about $70 locally, should be installed next to rooms containing boilers, water heaters, furnaces and other carbon-based heating appliances, or inside a house near the garage door.
Exceptions are made for houses with electrical appliances and apartment complexes with carbon heating equipment located in a room separate from the building.
A set of proposed codes are being analyzed by the Department of Law and will be sent to a legislative committee for approval, Greene said. The final approval comes from the lieutenant governor.
The 2005 law was driven by the death of a family of five in Anchorage, Greene said.
"They had a fairly new home, but the entire family died of carbon monoxide poisoning," he said.
Juneau has not had deaths linked to carbon monoxide recently, Fire Marshal Rich Etheridge said. He and some volunteers have gone door-to-door in past months to educate people about alarms, especially fire alarms.
"For the most part, people are becoming more compliant," Etheridge said.
The need for compliance is vital due to the difficulty of detecting carbon monoxide. The gas can build up quietly before causing flu-like symptoms and death.
"It's colorless and odorless, so you don't know you have it without a detection device," Etheridge said. "If you wait for symptoms, it may be too late."
Monday, February 5, 2007
Family member has nose for heroics
Leadville
They sure don't make carbon monoxide detectors like they used to.
Take the one owned by Debbie Bailey and Jay Roberts. It still works flawlessly despite being 11 years old. Today's detectors have a life span of only five years or so. But this one, well, it most definitely saved the couple's lives a few weeks back, awakening them at 2 a.m. as their home filled with the lethal gas.
Roberts jumped out of bed, called the fire department and opened the door of the 19th-century brick home. And the carbon monoxide detector raced down the hall, dashed outside, ran in circles in the snow and would not come back in.
With today's models, of course, all you get is a loud siren.
The couple's carbon monoxide detector on that frigid early morning of Jan. 19 was Bebe, their brown-and-white, floppy eared Springer spaniel.
"She started making whining noises and pacing back and forth in our bedroom from my side over to Jay's side, over and over," Bailey said. "She never behaves like that. I woke up. And I had a terrific headache."
The couple, accompanied each step of the way by Bebe the wonder dog, gave a visitor a tour of their beautiful home last week, a three-story house built in 1890. It is nestled among shops and businesses along Colorado 24 - the main street through this village that rests in the mountains at a lung-whacking 10,200 feet.
Nice kitchen. Quaint bathrooms. Majestic living room that looks out over the historic town. Cozy bedroom.
"And up there," said Bailey as she opened a door that led to a set of narrow stairs, "is our casket-viewing room."
Perhaps we should have mentioned that Bailey is the Lake County coroner. And the couple's home in this old mining town is part of the Bailey Funeral Home.
They almost became customers.
In the tiny cave-like basement of the home sits a boiler system that heats the house. A natural-gas fire beneath a tank of water sends hot, moist air upward through ducts into each room. The colorless and odorless fumes from the burning gas are vented into a chimney to the outside.
The brick-and-mortar chimney was built with the home in 1890. Unlike today's chimneys, it was not lined with metal. Over the decades the porous chimney decayed from the inside and crumbled to dust, slowly sealing off the escape route for the killing fumes.
New detectors not plugged in
At about 6 a.m. on Jan. 18, the electronic carbon monoxide detector in the home sounded. It was several years old. Roberts thought it had malfunctioned. His wife bought two new detectors that day.
The next night they settled in to sleep.
The two new carbon monoxide detectors, unopened, sat on a desk downstairs.
"We didn't think to plug them in," Bailey said.
After midnight Bebe's pacing grew more intense. Her whining grew louder. Bailey and Roberts awoke with headaches. They took Tylenol. Roberts let Bebe outside. She did not want to come back in.
"I'm telling her, 'C'mon in. It's 10 below zero,' " Roberts said. "She was acting strange."
A moment later he remembered the previous morning's carbon monoxide alarm. Roberts rushed downstairs, opened one of the new detectors and plugged it in. The siren went off. The digital readout stopped at 999 (parts per million) - the detector limit.
Carbon monoxide at 800 ppm can cause convulsions within 45 minutes and a coma within two hours.
Roberts called the fire department. Downstairs, near the boiler room, the department's carbon monoxide detectors soared to 1,200 ppm, a level that can cause death within three minutes.
The firefighters, Bailey and Roberts rushed outside where Bebe still sat. The couple had raging headaches and nausea.
The utilities company shut off the gas. Firefighters opened windows and doors. A gigantic fan blew the gas outside. The chimney was cleaned and later that day was able to safely vent the gas up and out of the home. This week a stainless steel sleeve will be fitted into the chimney.
Hero gets prime rib
But at 4 a.m., just two hours after Bebe awakened them, Bailey and Roberts were down the street, lying side by side in St. Vincent's General Hospital. They spent several hours breathing oxygen until the carbon monoxide levels in their blood dropped to a safe level.
During those hours Bebe was curled up in the cab of the couple's pickup truck in the hospital parking lot.
"A nurse kept going out and running the truck for a few minutes and bringing heated hospital blankets to keep her warm," Bailey said.
That night, with the house safely vented, Bebe ate prime rib.
In between all the patting.
"We had another Springer spaniel. Bonny. She was 13. She died more than a year ago," said Bailey, who was elected last November to her second term as county coroner. "She and Bebe were best friends. Since Bebe has been alone she sleeps with us. Most of the time right on the bed."
Said Roberts: "She'd been breathing the carbon monoxide most of the day and she must have been sick. I think at 2 a.m. she said, 'Enough is enough.' "
The couple sat on a sofa in their living room the other day, framed by the huge old windows that have brought the sparkling light of the Rocky Mountains into the home for 117 years. Bebe sat between them.
"It took us a while to think about it. Maybe a day or so," said Bailey, her right hand resting on her dog's back. "But then it scared us. It hit us that without Bebe, we really could have died that night."
[Well...(tongue in cheek) it's not recommended that you use a Springer spaniel as a carbon monoxide detector...they obviously can be harmed by too much CO too. A good detector is the more sensible alternative. You can try the Pocket CO at www.transducertech.com or www.quantumfields.com. It's $129 plus shipping...considerably less than the cost of a dog plus food and accessories and chewed up shoes over the course of 11 years.
It's nice to hear a more light-hearted story about CO for once, rather than all the tragedy that occurs on an almost daily basis because people don't think CO will affect them. Buy a good detector...as soon as possible.]
They sure don't make carbon monoxide detectors like they used to.
Take the one owned by Debbie Bailey and Jay Roberts. It still works flawlessly despite being 11 years old. Today's detectors have a life span of only five years or so. But this one, well, it most definitely saved the couple's lives a few weeks back, awakening them at 2 a.m. as their home filled with the lethal gas.
Roberts jumped out of bed, called the fire department and opened the door of the 19th-century brick home. And the carbon monoxide detector raced down the hall, dashed outside, ran in circles in the snow and would not come back in.
With today's models, of course, all you get is a loud siren.
The couple's carbon monoxide detector on that frigid early morning of Jan. 19 was Bebe, their brown-and-white, floppy eared Springer spaniel.
"She started making whining noises and pacing back and forth in our bedroom from my side over to Jay's side, over and over," Bailey said. "She never behaves like that. I woke up. And I had a terrific headache."
The couple, accompanied each step of the way by Bebe the wonder dog, gave a visitor a tour of their beautiful home last week, a three-story house built in 1890. It is nestled among shops and businesses along Colorado 24 - the main street through this village that rests in the mountains at a lung-whacking 10,200 feet.
Nice kitchen. Quaint bathrooms. Majestic living room that looks out over the historic town. Cozy bedroom.
"And up there," said Bailey as she opened a door that led to a set of narrow stairs, "is our casket-viewing room."
Perhaps we should have mentioned that Bailey is the Lake County coroner. And the couple's home in this old mining town is part of the Bailey Funeral Home.
They almost became customers.
In the tiny cave-like basement of the home sits a boiler system that heats the house. A natural-gas fire beneath a tank of water sends hot, moist air upward through ducts into each room. The colorless and odorless fumes from the burning gas are vented into a chimney to the outside.
The brick-and-mortar chimney was built with the home in 1890. Unlike today's chimneys, it was not lined with metal. Over the decades the porous chimney decayed from the inside and crumbled to dust, slowly sealing off the escape route for the killing fumes.
New detectors not plugged in
At about 6 a.m. on Jan. 18, the electronic carbon monoxide detector in the home sounded. It was several years old. Roberts thought it had malfunctioned. His wife bought two new detectors that day.
The next night they settled in to sleep.
The two new carbon monoxide detectors, unopened, sat on a desk downstairs.
"We didn't think to plug them in," Bailey said.
After midnight Bebe's pacing grew more intense. Her whining grew louder. Bailey and Roberts awoke with headaches. They took Tylenol. Roberts let Bebe outside. She did not want to come back in.
"I'm telling her, 'C'mon in. It's 10 below zero,' " Roberts said. "She was acting strange."
A moment later he remembered the previous morning's carbon monoxide alarm. Roberts rushed downstairs, opened one of the new detectors and plugged it in. The siren went off. The digital readout stopped at 999 (parts per million) - the detector limit.
Carbon monoxide at 800 ppm can cause convulsions within 45 minutes and a coma within two hours.
Roberts called the fire department. Downstairs, near the boiler room, the department's carbon monoxide detectors soared to 1,200 ppm, a level that can cause death within three minutes.
The firefighters, Bailey and Roberts rushed outside where Bebe still sat. The couple had raging headaches and nausea.
The utilities company shut off the gas. Firefighters opened windows and doors. A gigantic fan blew the gas outside. The chimney was cleaned and later that day was able to safely vent the gas up and out of the home. This week a stainless steel sleeve will be fitted into the chimney.
Hero gets prime rib
But at 4 a.m., just two hours after Bebe awakened them, Bailey and Roberts were down the street, lying side by side in St. Vincent's General Hospital. They spent several hours breathing oxygen until the carbon monoxide levels in their blood dropped to a safe level.
During those hours Bebe was curled up in the cab of the couple's pickup truck in the hospital parking lot.
"A nurse kept going out and running the truck for a few minutes and bringing heated hospital blankets to keep her warm," Bailey said.
That night, with the house safely vented, Bebe ate prime rib.
In between all the patting.
"We had another Springer spaniel. Bonny. She was 13. She died more than a year ago," said Bailey, who was elected last November to her second term as county coroner. "She and Bebe were best friends. Since Bebe has been alone she sleeps with us. Most of the time right on the bed."
Said Roberts: "She'd been breathing the carbon monoxide most of the day and she must have been sick. I think at 2 a.m. she said, 'Enough is enough.' "
The couple sat on a sofa in their living room the other day, framed by the huge old windows that have brought the sparkling light of the Rocky Mountains into the home for 117 years. Bebe sat between them.
"It took us a while to think about it. Maybe a day or so," said Bailey, her right hand resting on her dog's back. "But then it scared us. It hit us that without Bebe, we really could have died that night."
[Well...(tongue in cheek) it's not recommended that you use a Springer spaniel as a carbon monoxide detector...they obviously can be harmed by too much CO too. A good detector is the more sensible alternative. You can try the Pocket CO at www.transducertech.com or www.quantumfields.com. It's $129 plus shipping...considerably less than the cost of a dog plus food and accessories and chewed up shoes over the course of 11 years.
It's nice to hear a more light-hearted story about CO for once, rather than all the tragedy that occurs on an almost daily basis because people don't think CO will affect them. Buy a good detector...as soon as possible.]
Diligence with appliances cuts carbon monoxide risk
When it comes to carbon monoxide, what you can't see can hurt you.
A colorless, odorless, toxic gas produced by the incomplete combustion of solid, liquid and gaseous fuels, carbon monoxide can be present when appliances that burn gas, oil, kerosene or wood are in use. Electric appliances do not produce carbon monoxide.
Dangerous or deadly levels of gas are produced when these appliances — including room heaters, furnaces, charcoal grills, cooking ranges, fireplaces and water heaters — are not installed, maintained or used properly or when they are used in poorly ventilated areas.
In fact, injuries due to automobiles running in closed garages make up the largest number of carbon monoxide-related calls conducted by Metro Fire Department, district chief Charles Shannon says.
Almost 5,000 people are treated at U.S. hospitals for carbon monoxide poisoning each year, though experts think the number of actual poisonings is much larger, because people mistake the symptoms — dizziness, fatigue, headache, nausea and irregular breathing — with a fever-less flu.
To complicate matters, poisoning can result with none or few of these symptoms. In these cases, an overexposed person or animal simply "falls asleep" and never regains consciousness. That's why carbon monoxide is called the silent, cold-weather killer.
Best defense is detectors - [www.transducertech.com or www.quantumfields.com - Pocket CO]
Luckily, preventing carbon monoxide poisoning is as easy as keeping all fuel-burning appliances in good working order and installing a detector. They are readily available at home goods stores and easy to install, Shannon says.
Additionally, the American Industrial Hygiene Association offers these safety tips:
• Properly install and maintain any carbon monoxide-producing appliances and keep up with inspections.
• Vent appliances according to manufacturer's instructions.
• Periodically hire a qualified technician to do preventive maintenance on central and room-heating appliances.
• Keep chimneys and flues free of blockages, corrosion and loose connections.
• Vented and unvented kerosene and gas space heaters should be cleaned and inspected regularly.
• Rooms where unvented gas or kerosene space heaters are used should be well-ventilated, with doors or windows open, especially at night.
• Don't turn on a vehicle in a closed garage, even to warm it up on a cold morning.
• Stay alert for conditions that may indicate carbon monoxide leakage: signs of rusting or water streaking on vents and chimneys; soot on internal or attic spaces; loose or disconnected vent/chimney connections; and debris or soot falling from chimneys, fireplaces or appliances.
• Install a carbon monoxide detector with an alarm near bedrooms and test weekly. Considered the best defense against poisoning, these devices sound off when they detect toxic concentrations
A colorless, odorless, toxic gas produced by the incomplete combustion of solid, liquid and gaseous fuels, carbon monoxide can be present when appliances that burn gas, oil, kerosene or wood are in use. Electric appliances do not produce carbon monoxide.
Dangerous or deadly levels of gas are produced when these appliances — including room heaters, furnaces, charcoal grills, cooking ranges, fireplaces and water heaters — are not installed, maintained or used properly or when they are used in poorly ventilated areas.
In fact, injuries due to automobiles running in closed garages make up the largest number of carbon monoxide-related calls conducted by Metro Fire Department, district chief Charles Shannon says.
Almost 5,000 people are treated at U.S. hospitals for carbon monoxide poisoning each year, though experts think the number of actual poisonings is much larger, because people mistake the symptoms — dizziness, fatigue, headache, nausea and irregular breathing — with a fever-less flu.
To complicate matters, poisoning can result with none or few of these symptoms. In these cases, an overexposed person or animal simply "falls asleep" and never regains consciousness. That's why carbon monoxide is called the silent, cold-weather killer.
Best defense is detectors - [www.transducertech.com or www.quantumfields.com - Pocket CO]
Luckily, preventing carbon monoxide poisoning is as easy as keeping all fuel-burning appliances in good working order and installing a detector. They are readily available at home goods stores and easy to install, Shannon says.
Additionally, the American Industrial Hygiene Association offers these safety tips:
• Properly install and maintain any carbon monoxide-producing appliances and keep up with inspections.
• Vent appliances according to manufacturer's instructions.
• Periodically hire a qualified technician to do preventive maintenance on central and room-heating appliances.
• Keep chimneys and flues free of blockages, corrosion and loose connections.
• Vented and unvented kerosene and gas space heaters should be cleaned and inspected regularly.
• Rooms where unvented gas or kerosene space heaters are used should be well-ventilated, with doors or windows open, especially at night.
• Don't turn on a vehicle in a closed garage, even to warm it up on a cold morning.
• Stay alert for conditions that may indicate carbon monoxide leakage: signs of rusting or water streaking on vents and chimneys; soot on internal or attic spaces; loose or disconnected vent/chimney connections; and debris or soot falling from chimneys, fireplaces or appliances.
• Install a carbon monoxide detector with an alarm near bedrooms and test weekly. Considered the best defense against poisoning, these devices sound off when they detect toxic concentrations
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