“New technology has led to quieter engines and keyless ignitions in cars. But at what cost?
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration proposed a rule in 2011 to address carbon monoxide concerns stemming from keyless cars running unintentionally.
It went nowhere.
Instead, a page on NHTSA’s website warns about leaving keyless cars running without the fob inside.
A bill filed last year in Congress – the PARK IT Act – would require regulators to finalize rules for automatic shut-off systems, but the bill never made it out of committee.”
“He managed to get me to the kitchen, which was only like 10 feet away from the bed, he put me on a chair and I remember seeing him on the floor … nothing seemed real.”
“The police (said) he had been two plus hours late to pick up his son up so they did a check…(a neighbor) was working from home when she heard noise from a carbon monoxide detector that went off in one of the units of the home.” This is concerning…why did the CO detector not alert them in time to evacuate safely?
A story with a happy ending thanks to CO alarms…source of CO was a gas powered wood-splitter being operated too close to the home.
The West Perth and Perth East fire departments are reminding residents that carbon monoxide detectors save lives after a Perth East family narrowly escaped a potentially deadly situation last week.
Bluffton, SC – “…firefighters determined that a portable generator running outside a window air-conditioner unit allowed the poisonous gas to spread through the home quickly.“ Remember to always operate generators at least 20 feet away from all living spaces, and install CO alarms on every level of your home and near all sleeping areas.
Seattle, WA – “Today’s interview is happening courtesy of his carbon monoxide detector, which went off the night before when a pipe came loose from the wood-burning stove that heats the completely off-the-grid home.”
Bristol, CT – “While talking to firefighters, Evangelisti was told not to worry about opening windows in his home or anything else. He was told not to spend another moment inside, and to get his wife and get outside immediately. Firefighters would figure out if there was an issue…”
Harrisonburg, VA – “When crews arrived, they found at least two family members unconscious…family included three young children…crews investigated the home and found lethal levels of carbon monoxide: over 1,000 parts per pillion (ppm) inside…amount above 35 ppm is considered harmful…the home did not have any functioning carbon monoxide alarms”
Protect your family with CO alarms on every level of your home and near every sleeping area 🏠❤️
Plympton, MA – “When the carbon monoxide detectors went off in Jackson Randall’s house last month, the 7-year-old knew exactly what to do.
“I went to my meeting place and I got out of the house,” Jackson said.
Jackson learned about fire safety plans at Dennett Elementary, then had his family implement their own escape plan.”
Mesa, AZ – “Two family members were inside a garage hanging out while a car was running Saturday night and experienced carbon monoxide poisoning, one of them becoming critically ill…”
Hoping these people are going to be okay. Severe CO poisoning can happen quickly…an important reminder to never run your car inside your garage (even with the door open) and to have CO alarms on every level of your home, especially near where you sleep.
Des Moines, IA – “Two men were working on a car in a garage…Earlier, they fixed an issue with a gas furnace in the garage…one man was later treated at hospital for carbon monoxide poisoning, firefighters found the other man dead in the garage…If you’re going to do any work on an HVAC system, make sure qualified personnel are working on it.”
“…It was then found that a poor unfortunate bird had made a nest for itself in the heating boiler’s flue which caused all the fumes from the boiler to back up and inhibit the boiler from working properly, causing the extreme CO build-up…luckily they had a CO detector which alerted them to the levels”
What’s in your flue/chimney/vent? 🏠
“… reluctant to go to the hospital because of the COVID-19 virus outbreak, but four of the six family members were transported to the hospital (due to CO poisoning).”
“We thought we had dual alarms installed — a combination of smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors. That was not the case our detectors were only for smoke.”
“Shortness of breath can be caused by a number of things, according to the American Lung Association…when shortness of breath comes on quickly, it can signal emergency situations like carbon monoxide poisoning”
How to KNOW if your symptoms are due to CO? Have CO alarms on every level of your home and near every sleeping area. If they alert to the presence of CO (4-beep pattern), immediately get out side to fresh air and call 911.
“A major issue right now is that some masonry chimneys might have shifted. If a masonry chimney provides ventilation to someone’s home, it might have damage that’s not clearly visible — and carbon monoxide from the home might not exit properly.”
“Today, U.S. Rep. Angie Craig introduced the Safe Stay Act, which would require the installation of carbon monoxide detectors in each hotel and motel room across the country. This legislation comes after learning that two of her second district constituents were hospitalized with serious illnesses due to near-fatal carbon monoxide levels in their Michigan hotel room.”
“Public housing units across the country are still not required by the federal government to have carbon monoxide detectors, more than a year after two people died in South Carolina and after recent evacuations of hundreds of families from a Durham public housing complex.”
Happy Spring Forward weekend! The time change is a great reminder to replace the batteries in both your CO and smoke alarms. Some other important things to check:
1. If your CO alarm has a manufacturing date of 2013 or earlier, it’s time to toss it out and get a new one (smoke alarms have a 10-year lifespan)
2. Make sure you have alarms that are marked “UL Listed” – this means they meet U.S. safety standards (always look for this when you buy, especially when purchasing online)
3. Press the “test” button to make sure the alarm is working (CO alarms alert in a 4-beep pattern, smoke alarms alert in a 3-beep pattern)
Have your kids help you and explain to them what you are doing so if there’s ever an emergency and you’re not there to help them, they’ll know what the alarms sound like and what to do if they ever hear them going off. Download an easy to read CO alarm guide at https://thejenkinsfoundation.com/alarms/
“I’m hoping maybe after this story…someone takes that extra time – that extra five minutes, 60 seconds – to just test their detector,” Kevin explained. “There’s probably somebody out there whose detector’s not going to work.”
Great awareness video by the Katie Haines Memorial Trust (UK). Stats may vary between countries, but CO poses the same danger no matter where you live (or travel).
Sharing this message and video by the Katie Haines Memorial Trust (UK) in memory of Katie Haines who tragically lost her life to CO poisoning 10 years ago this week. Since then her family has worked diligently to spread awareness about the dangers of CO in the UK and when traveling.
On 18th February 2010 our beloved daughter Katie was killed by accidental carbon monoxide poisoning, a few months after her fairytale wedding in the Cotswolds. We know that our pain is shared by so many others who knew and loved her. Katie’s loss has left a massive void in our lives that can never be filled. We are fortunate that we had so many videos of our children growing up – and we are grateful to Robert Lyon for going through these for us – something we would have found difficult to do – and for putting together these memories of our beautiful daughter’s short life. We will continue to strive to raise awareness and prevent others from losing a beloved member of their family from this ‘silent killer’. Please make sure your carbon burning appliances are regularly serviced and maintained by registered engineers and your chimneys swept by registered sweeps and install one or more audible carbon monoxide alarms.
This is, and I’m sure always will be, a difficult film for us to watch but we want others to know how proud and fortunate we were to have had Katie in our lives.
Avril, Gordon, Lydia and Adam.
PS – please share with your friends – and keep them safe.
“On New Year’s Eve, her heat stopped working. Trying to get it going, she would turn it back on and it would kick off again. She didn’t think anything of it, until one day later, New Year’s Day, she heard, “warning, carbon monoxide.” Great info in video of this story.
Selma, NC – “They put a generator in their crawl space under the house for heat. They propped a door open so it would have ventilation. The wind shut the door, though, forcing carbon monoxide up into the house.”
“The utility realized it was sending out the wrong mixture of gas to air to appliances such as boilers, clothes dryers, and stoves, with too much natural gas being sent out into the supply line. That type of mix could lead to carbon monoxide leaking into homes and businesses…” Businesses affected included the Marriott Hotel on Railroad Street.
“Susan C. Livingston turned her grief over her parents’ (Sherry Penney and James Livingston) deaths last May into advocacy by working with longtime friend and state Rep. Lori Ehrlich to push for legislation mandating engine shutoff software for keyless ignition vehicles.”
“HUD’s health and safety inspection of the complex wouldn’t have required a check for carbon monoxide detectors, since they are not mandatory in the federally subsidized properties…”
“Californiaand other cities on the East Coast and Texas have passed laws restricting or banningvent-free models, requiring gas fireplaces to have outdoor vents — though older homes in those cities and states may still have them.”
Spokane, WA – “…residents were using three generators that were on the roof near the unit’s windows to power portable space heaters and other electronic devices…exhaust from the generators vented back into the cracked windows, causing increased levels of dangerous carbon monoxide to accumulate”
Comstock, MI – “Standing in the fire station where he spent more than four decades, retired Comstock Fire Chief Walter Culver warned of the importance of having working carbon monoxide monitors. The former chief said he became a testimony of that importance after carbon monoxide threatened his own life.”
How to stay safe from CO poisoning:
1. Have CO alarms with fresh batteries
2. Know the sound of your alarm when it’s alerting to CO in the air (push the test button to hear the 4-beep pattern)
3. If you ever hear the alarm alerting to CO, get outside to fresh air and call 911 (CO can render you confused/unconscious/DEAD if you remain inside trying to open windows and search out the cause of the alarm – don’t take chances with your life)
No deaths and no injuries at this sorority house at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln…they had CO alarms, and they evacuated to fresh air and called 911 when they heard them going off. A model of what all CO exposure incidents should look like.
Toledo, OR – This woman is lucky to be alive after leaving her keyless ignition vehicle running in her garage. Another example of why it’s so important to have CO alarms in your home…one on every level and near all sleeping areas.
“I came home one night and I heard a faint alarm, but I didn’t know where it was coming from,” said Sharon Okechukwu, “I could hear it say ‘carbon monoxide.’”
Great Falls, MT – This man is lucky to be alive. Running a generator indoors can kill you in literally minutes. Always operate them outside, at least 20 feet from occupied spaces.
Heartbreaking story out of Weleetka, Oklahoma. So important to teach kids about the dangers of CO. Never use a generator indoors – they should be at least 20 feet away from all living spaces. Does your travel trailer have a CO alarm?
This is an update to the story about the Reitter family of 4 who were fatally poisoned in their Genoa Township, OH, home earlier this month…source of CO determined to be a recently installed water heater…
This is an update to story of Sarasota, FL, couple found dead in home…source of CO determined to be a vehicle left running in attached garage…CO ALARMS SAVE LIVES – do you have them to protect you in your home?
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