CARBON MONOXIDE WARNING

Recently, there was a news article about a person who had died from carbon monoxide poisoning. With the colder temperatures visiting the Pacific Northwest, and other areas of the country, many people have been scrambling to find ways to stay warmer in their house or apartment.

Apparently, the man and his wife decided that it was a good idea to augment the heat in their house by buying and using a propane powered space heater inside their home.

As a former firefighter, it is very difficult for me to believe that as the year 2010 approaches, something like this could happen.

Every type of "space heater," that burns any type of fuel, produces invisible, and often odorless, “products of combustion” that have the ability to make people very sick or very dead. You can't see, smell, or taste carbon monoxide, but it can cause brain damage; and, it can kill you.

Also, may people mistakenly believe that it is OK to burn charcoal briquettes to heat the inside of their house or garage, when it is not safe to do that.

Especially during colder weather, the fire service and news media need to cooperate better to inform the public about residential fire safety information – and that would include information about the dangers of alternative heating sources.

Plus, manufacturers need to step up to the plate and provide a more responsible warning about their products. If something can produce carbon monoxide and other products of combustion, there needs to be a VERY BIG WARNING about it.

Of prime concern is the importance of having working smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors in each home. Many people are not vigilant about this.

With 13 years of fire service experience, I know how fast fire can spread, and I know how a fire can smolder for hours before breaking into flame stage. Those are the reasons why I have a working smoke detector in every bedroom, and hallway, plus closets where there are electrical appliances. I also have a strategically located carbon monoxide detector, installed per manufacturer’s specifications.

If people can afford to buy three packs of cigarettes, or a 12–pack of beer, they can afford to buy a smoke detector to help protect them against the invisible and odorless fumes caused by products of combustion.

There are many possible sources of carbon monoxide. For further information about carbon monoxide, please visit the Center for Disease Control website, at http://www.cdc.gov/co/faqs.htm