These fire safety tips will provide your family with valuable life saving information

Carbon Monoxide

Carbon Monoxide (CO) is colorless and odorless, you can't see, smell, or taste it. It will make you feel tired or like you have the flu. You will want to sleep, then it slow your breathing and stop your heart. You won't know what hit you. Carbon Monoxide has killed entire families in their sleep. Every year hundreds of people die and thousands are injured from CO poisoning. Remember that smaller levels of CO can be just as deadly in extended time when compared to exposure in high levels of CO in a short amount of time. If you feel better when you leave your home, and then when you come back you don't feel right you are most likely being poisoned by Carbon Monoxide.

Here is a chart to help define the Parts Per Million of CO and the time of inhalation for symptoms to occur:

PPM	Inhalation Time and Symptoms
25 PPM	8 hrs. Maximum exposure allowed by OSHA for an 8 hour day.
200 PPM	2 - 3 hrs. Mild headache, fatigue, nausea, and dizziness.
400 PPM	1 - 2 hrs. Severe headache, fatigue, nausea, and dizziness worsen. Life threatening after 3 hours.
800 PPM	40 minutes Nausea, dizziness, convulsions, death in 2 to 3 hours.
1600 PPM	20 minutes Headache, dizziness, convulsions, death within 1 hour.
6400 PPM	1 - 2 minutes Headache, nausea, dizziness, convulsions, death within 25 to 30 minutes.
12800 PPM	1 - 3 minutes DEATH

(Conditions vary according to age, health, weight, etc.)

Here are some of the devices that will cause Carbon Monoxide build-up:

Furnace, Dryer, Hot Water Heater, Stove
Faulty gas lines
Motorized Vehicles (Do not warm your car up in an attached garage!)
Fuel Space Heaters
Grills
Anything that uses gas

Preventing Carbon Monoxide poisoning is as simple as buying a CO detector. CO detectors and smoke detectors are not the same, they both have different functions. When purchasing make sure the device has the UL mark. Place them near sleeping areas and gas burning appliances. Follow manufactures instructions for placement. Replace batteries and unit according to manufacturer also.

If alarm sounds evacuate and call 9-1-1!