Chief: 'Don't ignore the alarm'

NORWALK — As furnaces hum back to life, Norwalk fire Chief Dan Strayer said his department is already responding to an uptick in carbon monoxide alarms. "We go on (carbon monoxide) calls on a weekly basis, sometimes on a daily basis," Strayer said. "We average about three to four calls a week here, especially this time of year, because people are firing up their furnaces and things like that." November marks National Carbon Monoxide Awareness Month. Both Columbia Gas of Ohio and local departments are reminding residents to check detectors and have gas appliances serviced before the winter heating season begins. Invisible danger Unlike smoke or natural gas, carbon monoxide gives no warning signs. "It's a colorless, tasteless gas that has the same vapor density as air, so it just kind of floats throughout the air," Strayer said. "You can't smell it, and you don't know it's there until you start having symptoms — and the early symptoms mimic flu-like symptoms," he said. "You'll get headaches, feel nauseated. Basically, what carbon monoxide does is it binds to your red blood cells and kicks the oxygen out. You're suffocating from the inside out." Carbon monoxide is produced whenever fuels such as gasoline, wood, natural gas, propane or oil burn incompletely, according to Columbia Gas. A malfunctioning appliance or blocked vent can cause the gas to build up indoors. The company recommends that all fuel-burning appliances be inspected annually by qualified technicians and that carbon monoxide detectors be installed on every level of the home and near all sleeping areas. Free detector program Norwalk fire provides smoke and carbon monoxide detectors through a community grant program with local partners. "We get a grant from our local Walmart every year, and those dollars go toward purchasing smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors from our local Ace Hardware," Strayer said. "On average, we give out about 400 smoke detectors a year along with about 100 carbon monoxide detectors." Strayer reiterated that residents can call the department if they don't have a detector or if their existing one is malfunctioning. "We can come out and check to make sure if there is gas in the house and if the detector is functioning properly," he said. "If it's not, we'll give them a new one." He added that carbon monoxide detectors should be replaced every five years, and batteries checked regularly. Watch for hidden sources Strayer said carbon monoxide can come from more than just furnaces or stoves. "You can have internal leaks in your car that come inside through your ventilation or heating system, and that can affect you while you are driving," he said. Even warming up your vehicle in winter can come with a set of risks. "We always tell people: If you're going to warm up your car in the winter, make sure it's outside, not in your garage. That carbon monoxide will find a way to seep into your house," Strayer said. The chief said chimneys, dryer vents and furnace exhausts should be cleared of debris or animal nests before the heating season begins. Columbia Gas echoes that message, urging residents to check vents and chimneys regularly and to never use stoves or ovens to heat a home. Community focus Strayer said the department's goal is to keep residents safe through both prevention and education. "I strongly feel that we're community servants," he said. "We need to do anything and everything possible to keep our community and our members as safe as possible." He added that when a carbon monoxide detector alarm sounds, residents should never ignore it. "If your detector goes off, don't ignore it," Strayer said. "It could be a bad battery, it could be the end of its life, but it could also be real gas in the house. Always call us. We have the equipment to check." Columbia Gas reminds Ohioans that at high concentrations, carbon monoxide can be fatal within minutes, and anyone who suspects exposure should leave immediately, call 911, and contact Columbia Gas of Ohio at 1-800-344-4077 from a safe distance. A silent but preventable threat Strayer said the reason carbon monoxide remains so deadly is that it doesn't feel dangerous until it's too late. "You get tired. You think you'll take a nap," he said. "But you might not wake up." He encourages residents to treat detectors as life-saving equipment and to take advantage of the department's free program. "The best thing to do is prevention — get yourself a detector and give yourself peace of mind," he said. If you suspect a carbon monoxide leak: Leave immediately, call 911, and then call Columbia Gas of Ohio at 1-800-344-4077. More safety tips are available at ColumbiaGasOhio.com/CO.