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Carbon monoxide is a silent, deadly killer. More than 1,500 accidental deaths occur each year due to carbon monoxide poisoning.
Carbon monoxide is a tasteless, colorless, odorless, toxic gas that causes health problems and eventually brain damage and death at higher levels of concentration, according to First Alert.
At low levels, the gas can cause flu-like symptoms, including headache, fatigue, nausea, vomiting, dizziness and weakness. As the levels grow higher, loss of consciousness, coma and death can occur.
The fall is a prime time for carbon monoxide accidents when people begin to use their furnaces and fireplaces for the first time. Any buildup in the fireplace or furnace can cause carbon monoxide to leak into the home.
Other appliances are capable of leaking carbon monoxide, including gas water heaters, gas stoves or ovens, space heaters, or any appliance that uses natural gas, oil, wood, charcoal, coal, propane or kerosene.
"We get four to five calls a month that detectors are going off," said Warsaw Fire Chief Kenny Shepherd. "Most of them are false alarms due to faulty detectors."
However, Shepherd said it is important for people to have some kind of detector and to educate themselves on how it works. Many owners of the detectors do not know how to clean and change the detectors. All detectors should be maintained and tested regularly. If they are not taken care of, they can give a false alarm.
Shepherd recommends the carbon monoxide detector strips that can be placed near at-risk appliances. But he points out that the strips must be monitored frequently for owners to be alert to trouble.
If the carbon monoxide detector does go off, owners should call 911. The Warsaw Fire Department has a meter that can check the entire house to help pinpoint where the carbon monoxide is coming from. If there is a high reading, the department can call NIPSCO, the gas provider, who has a 24-hour hotline to report problems. NIPSCO will then check the house and deal with a problem through a repairman.
If a homeowner fears a carbon monoxide leak, he should get fresh air immediately and open all doors and windows to ventilate the home, then call 911 to have the home checked.
Shepherd also recommends that people have their furnaces checked annually, especially in the fall when they are used for the first time. Also, fireplaces and chimneys should be examined by a professional, since anything blocking the chimney, such as a bird's nest, can prove to be dangerous.
Also, starting a car in the garage and letting in warm-up can cause carbon monoxide to build up very quickly. It is recommended to back the car out of the garage before letting it run for long times.
Carbon monoxide can kill, even if it is in small amounts over a long period of time. The body does not build up an immunity. It only collects the carbon monoxide and builds up larger levels in the blood.
The Warsaw Fire Department does have some detectors available to families who are in need. They can be obtained through Combined Community Services, courtesy of the fire department.
Although Warsaw has not had any fatalities from carbon monoxide, there has been at least one close call.
Warsaw Police dispatcher Jackie Treft received a commmendation from the city for helping the Kilgore family when they suffered carbon monoxide poisoning. The Kilgores called 911, then hung up. Treft called them back, and they told her they were very sick but they would drive to the emergency room. After a half hour, Treft checked the emergency room, and the Kilgores had not arrived, so a patrolman went to the home and found them collapsed.
The police report stated, "It is the opinion of everyone involved if not for the concern of Treft, the Kilgores would probably not have survived too much longer."
