The City of Joliet Fire Department issued the following announcement on Jan. 30.
With the extreme cold, we are experiencing, your home’s heating system is working overtime and it’s important to test the carbon monoxide alarms in your home.
To test a carbon monoxide detector, hold down the “test” button until you hear two beeps sound off. Once you hear these beeps, release your finger off of the test button.
Carbon monoxide, also known as CO, is called the “Invisible Killer” because it's a colorless, odorless, poisonous gas. More than 150 people in the United States die every year from accidental non-fire-related CO poisoning associated with consumer products, including generators. Other products include faulty, improperly-used or incorrectly-vented fuel-burning appliances such as furnaces, stoves, water heaters, and fireplaces.
Because CO is odorless, colorless, and otherwise undetectable to the human senses, people may not know that they are being exposed. The initial symptoms of low to moderate CO poisoning are similar to the flu (but without the fever). They include:
- Headache
- Fatigue
- Shortness of breath
- Nausea
- Dizziness
High-level CO poisoning results in progressively more severe symptoms, including:
- Mental confusion
- Vomiting
- Loss of muscular coordination
- Loss of consciousness
- Ultimately death
If you don’t have a carbon monoxide monitor, we strongly urge you to get one for your home now!
Please also share any experience you’ve had with carbon monoxide alarms with your neighbors as a comment.
Original source can be found here.
Source: The City of Joliet Fire Department
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