MUW’s Carbon Monoxide Scare Shows The Importance Of Detectors

HOUSTON, Miss. (WCBI) – This week’s scare at the Mississippi University for Women’s campus shines a light on the importance of carbon monoxide detectors.

Area homes and businesses have different fire code requirements.

Some of those, don’t require detectors, but firefighters say having one can mean the difference between life and death.

It’s known as the silent killer, carbon monoxide.

These detectors are the only way to know if it’s creeping in your home.

Houston Fire Chief Jonathan Blankenship has seen first hand what happens when a home or business lacks this life saving tool.

“A few years ago, a crew was indoors working with a propane machine, and they had a leak, and we ended up dragging about three guys out. They didn’t know that carbon monoxide was in the building.”

The fire chief says anytime you have heating appliances or any appliance run by gas, it puts off carbon monoxide.

“A lot of times, you might have just some malfunction in your heater or whatever appliance, that you’re not aware of that puts off this carbon monoxide, so, very, very important.”

The malfunction leads to the odorless and colorless gas seeping through the air.

“Natural gas or LP gas, a lot of times it’s just the natural gas that you have, but those gases escape from what it’s suppose to be inside of, like the pipe, you know, have a leak or something, that’s pretty much it,” says Nabors’ Home Center manager, Frank Thomas.

Talks of carbon monoxide detectors is something that’s started over the last several years.

Firefighters say they’re just as important as smoke detectors.

“Ever since I was a kid, we always talked about smoke detectors, smoke detectors, more education about it, and understanding of it more, easy to get and affordability, and that kind of thing like that, has made folks aware of what needs to be done and I think that’s true for carbon monoxide,” says Thomas.

“They’ll save your life. They’re too cheap not to have it,” says Blankenship.

Blakenship says the size of your home determines how many detectors you need and you definitely need them by your sleeping areas.

He also recommends getting your heating systems, gas or electric, checked every year by a qualified technician.