Carbon monoxide alarms save lives, fire officials remind residents
The gas that you can’t see, taste or smell continues to be a household danger that people need to protect themselves from, the Timmins Fire Department says.
Fire services across the province have spent the first week of November promoting the importance of having working carbon monoxide (CO) alarms and annual inspections to ensure gas is not leaking from home appliances.
“(It comes from) fuel-burning appliances in your home, exhaust from vehicles and from wood-burning appliances, as well,” said fire prevention officer Andrew Hubbert.
Exposure to CO leaks in the home can cause symptoms like shortness of breath, dizziness and nausea.
Depending on how much of the gas is present, symptoms can show within days, hours or minutes. In higher concentrations, carbon monoxide can quickly lead to loss of consciousness and death.
According to the Hawkins-Gignac Foundation, which promotes education around CO and pushed for alarms to be mandatory across Ontario, people are still becoming sick and dying from exposure to the gas.
“You need to protect your family,” said communications director Conrad Galambos.
“If you do not have a working CO alarm, you risk everything. Unfortunately, these tragic incidents still happen.”
It’s the law to have smoke and carbon monoxide alarms outside every sleeping area and on every floor of the home. Though Galambos said it’s difficult to enforce that for every home.
Hubbert said his fire department conducts annual inspections, to check that people have working alarms in the right places. He said crews still occasionally receive calls from people who show symptoms and don’t have alarms installed.
The recommendation is to replace carbon monoxide alarms every 10 years, change their batteries every year and to call a qualified technician to inspect household oil and natural gas-fuelled appliances annually.
Experts suggest that people also ensure that exhaust vents are clear of debris and of snow, during the winter months.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'It could be catastrophic': Woman says natural supplement contained hidden painkiller drug
A Manitoba woman thought she found a miracle natural supplement, but said a hidden ingredient wreaked havoc on her health.
After hearing thousands of last words, this hospital chaplain has advice for the living
Hospital chaplain J.S. Park opens up about death, grief and hearing thousands of last words, and shares his advice for the living.
WHO likely to issue wider alert on contaminated cough syrup
The World Health Organization is likely to issue a wider warning about contaminated Johnson and Johnson-made children's cough syrup found in Nigeria last week, it said in an email.
Canada, G7 urge 'all parties' to de-escalate in growing Mideast conflict
Canada called for 'all parties' to de-escalate rising tensions in the Mideast following an apparent Israeli drone attack against Iran overnight.
'It was all my savings': Ontario woman loses $15K to fake Walmart job scam
A woman who recently moved to Canada from India was searching for a job when she got caught in an online job scam and lost $15,000.
Families to receive Canada Child Benefit payment on Friday
More money will land in the pockets of some Canadian families on Friday for the latest Canada Child Benefit installment.
After COVID, WHO defines disease spread 'through air'
The World Health Organization and around 500 experts have agreed for the first time on what it means for a disease to spread through the air, in a bid to avoid the confusion early in the COVID-19 pandemic that some scientists have said cost lives.
American millionaire Jonathan Lehrer denied bail after being charged with killing Canadian couple
American millionaire Jonathan Lehrer, one of two men charged in the killings of a Canadian couple in Dominica, has been denied bail.
DEVELOPING G7 warns of new sanctions against Iran as world reacts to apparent Israeli drone attack
Group of Seven foreign ministers warned of new sanctions against Iran on Friday for its drone and missile attack on Israel, and urged both sides to avoid an escalation of the conflict.