State fire marshal issues warning about carbon monoxideDate: 7/31/2015 Massachusetts recently lost four young people to carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning in a Maine cabin.
State Fire Marshal Stephen D. Coan said, “A similar tragedy led to a law here in Massachusetts that requires CO alarms in nearly every home. It is a tool designed to help prevent more families from experiencing such grief.”
Carbon monoxide (CO) alarms have been required in nearly every residence in Massachusetts since March of 2006.
This is called Nicole’s Law and is named after a 6-year-old Plymouth girl who died from CO poisoning. The life expectancy of carbon monoxide alarms is five to seven years, depending on make and model, and many CO alarms installed as a result of this recent law are now reaching the end of their useful lives and need to be replaced.
No home appliance lasts forever. In 2014, Massachusetts fire departments responded to almost 15,000 CO incidents and in over one-quarter, or 4,100 incidents, elevated levels of CO were detected.
“Carbon monoxide is called the invisible killer because you cannot see it, taste it or smell it,” Coan said. “That’s why a working CO alarm on every level of your home will protect you and your family.”
Breathing CO makes people feel nauseas, dizzy, headachy, and tired like having the flu. It poisons the body by removing oxygen in the blood stream, slowly suffocating victims. It makes it hard to think clearly and sleeping people will not wake up without an alarm.
The Maine incident is believed to have been caused by a generator running in the basement of the cabin. A generator should only be used outdoors, well away from the house, with the exhaust facing away from doors and windows. It should not be used in a garage even with the door open.
Coan added, “While generator use is most often associated with winter storms, summer storms can cause power outages as well.”
The Department of Fire Services offers generator and carbon monoxide safety tips on its website. Go to: www.mass.gov/dfs, and click on Fire Safety Topics.
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