Close Call in Woodstock

Thursday, 16 July 2015 16:07

A close call earlier this week has the Woodstock Fire Department reminding everyone about the importance of carbon monoxide alarms.

WOODSTOCK - A close call earlier this week has the Woodstock Fire Department reminding everyone about the importance of carbon monoxide alarms.

Woodstock Fire were called out to an investigation about possible carbon monoxide after a complaint was made about a generator. When they arrived on scene, the two occupants of the home were showing signs of carbon monoxide poisoning, but luckily they were able to be treated on site and released.

The generator was being used for hydro, but there was no carbon monoxide alarm in the home.

Public Information Coordinator with Woodstock Fire Lisa Woods reminds the public about the dangers things like this pose. "Don't run things like generations in the home, they create carbon monoxide in the home and it's a very dangerous situation. As well as your barbeques. And don't run your cars in a closed garage, that causes carbon monoxide as well to enter the home. And those are common calls that we've been at where that is the cause."

By law landlords and homeowners must install carbon monoxide detectors if the home has a source of carbon monoxide (such as a stove) or an attached garage. Failure to do so could result in a fine, and in some cases that fine could be as high as $50 000.

If your alarm does go off, Woods says to get out of the house, leave all the windows closed, and call 911. "We say leave the windows shut because we want to find the source. So if you open the windows and allow fresh air to get in then we will close the windows and let it build up so we can determine is it your furnace, is it your gas stove - what is the cause of this carbon monoxide in the home."

Although this incident ends on a positive note, it could easily have been much worse. Woods says there is one simple take away from it all: "If you don't have a carbon monoxide alarm, please before you go to sleep tonight get one, get it plugged in, open it in fresh air, put it in your home and protect your family."