With winter upon us it is important to remember the dangers of Carbon Monoxide. Per the Journal of the American Medical Association, 1,500 people die and 10,000 people become ill each year because of carbon monoxide poisoning.

For those of you who don’t know Carbon Monoxide is a colorless and odorless gas that is given off during the burning of fossil fuels. In other words, when we burn coal, charcoal, gasoline, natural gas, other fossil fuels, and even wood, we are introducing fossil fuels into the air. Poorly vented fireplaces, stoves, chimneys and vents can all leak CO into the air, as can vehicles left running in an attached garage.

Having a Carbon Monoxide detector in your home is the only way to assure that you and your family are properly protected 24/7 from the colorless and odorless gas that is given off during the burning of fossil fuels.  The detector will be able to alert you and your family that the harmful Carbon Monoxide is present in your home.

If you have had your Carbon Monoxide detector for a while and want to be sure that it is still working properly you can use the test button on your CO Detector which will verify that the circuitry is operating correctly, not the accuracy of the sensor.  You will also want to be sure to follow the manufacturer guidelines as to when to replace your Carbon Monoxide detector.

If  your Carbon Monoxide detector sounds you should do the following:

1. Immediately move outside to fresh air.
2. Call your emergency services, fire department, or 911.
3. After calling 911, do a head count to check that all persons are accounted for. DO NOT reenter the premises until the emergency services responders have given you permission. You could lose consciousness and die if you go in the home.
4. If the source of the CO is determined to be a malfunctioning appliance, DO NOT operate that appliance until it has been properly serviced by trained personnel.

If your not sure where the Carbon Monoxide detectors should be placed in your home check with your local building codes or fire departments.  Starting January 1, 2013 the state of Ohio will have a new residential building code regarding the placement of Carbon Monoxide.

You can also add Carbon Monoxide detectors to your alarm system so that in the event that the detector goes off the authorities will be notified immediately.

For more information on Carbon Monoxide detectors contact American Fire & Security today at (937) 262-7937 or toll free at (877) 237-8918.

Stay Safe!

The Security Girl