Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska -- Carbon monoxide, or CO, is a byproduct of burning fuel like coal, oil, gas and wood. It has the potential to kill if not taken seriously.
“Normally, houses are pretty-well ventilated, but here, they are more sealed to keep the heat in, but also any CO that builds up,” said Air Force Staff Sgt. Erik Bernyk, Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson Fire Prevention Office fire inspector. “November to February is the most prevalent time for CO poisoning, due to the weather. This year hasn’t been quite as bad, but this time of year is dangerous because people use their heaters more.”
To prevent CO buildup, do not keep a vehicle running in a garage and no matter how cold it gets outside, do not use a grill indoors. If a fuel is burning indoors, crack the window or assure the ventilation is working properly.
“We have responded to smoke and fire in a house, and found them trying to cook hamburgers in the basement,” Bernyk said. “Before using anything that burns, stop and ask yourself, ‘is this safe?’”
Even though CO has the potential to kill, it is not immediate. The process of replacing oxygen in the blood stream with CO takes time depending on the amount of CO inhaled; some of the early signs and symptoms are headache, dizziness, weakness, upset stomach, vomiting, chest pain, and confusion. The later signs are loss of consciousness and death.
“It would take a shorter amount of time to feel those effects for children or elderly people older than 70, or smokers because they have a higher baseline of CO in their bloodstream,” Bernyk said. “Intoxicated individuals are at risk because they wouldn’t be able to identify their symptoms as easily, and a pregnant woman’s child is more at risk because it would take the mother longer to notice, and effect the child directly.”
To prevent these symptoms, the National Conference of State Legislatures and Alaska Statute state every dwelling requires a carbon monoxide detection device with an alarm installed and maintained in a manner approved by the state fire occupancy.
“First and foremost, never just ignore your CO detector and assume it needs a change in batteries,” Bernyk said. “Always check it, and if you think it needs new batteries, replace the batteries. Once it goes off, and you’ve determined it is not the batteries, evacuate the house, then call the fire department.
“If it is still going off, don’t ventilate the house,” Bernyk said. “It makes it harder for us to find out what the source of CO is.”
Most homes have smoke detectors, and recent ones have dual smoke and CO detectors, but if not CO detectors usually cost around $10 to $40 and last 10 years.
Each year, more than 400 Americans die from unintentional CO poisoning not linked to fire. More than 20,000 visit the emergency room, and more than 4,000 are hospitalized, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. So be proactive by knowing if your detector works and how it alerts.