A working carbon monoxide detector may have prevented a potential tragedy at a Chestnut Ridge home early Monday morning.
At approximately 2:30 a.m., Chaverim of Rockland NightWatch members responded to a home in Chestnut Ridge after a carbon monoxide detector began sounding, waking the sleeping family.
Upon arrival, Chaverim members confirmed elevated carbon monoxide readings inside the home and immediately contacted Orange & Rockland and Hatzoloh EMS.
Hatzoloh EMS evaluated and treated a total of 11 patients following the exposure.
Had the carbon monoxide detector not sounded and awakened the family in the middle of the night, the outcome could have been far more serious. Carbon monoxide is colorless and odorless and can be deadly, often giving victims little or no warning without a functioning detector.
The frightening incident serves as an important reminder to make sure carbon monoxide detectors are properly installed and functioning throughout every home.
MONSEY SCOOP REMINDER: Installing and maintaining carbon monoxide detectors is a simple step that can literally save lives. Make sure your home has working detectors and check them regularly, this family’s experience shows just how critical they can be.
B”H
Being how potentially serious this could be, l”r, maybe an organization should be founded to make sure that every kehilla household has working carbon monixide and smoke detectors in every place that are necessary, and even raise the money to pay for them where the families would otherwise be unable to properly equip their homes. There could also be a central monitoring unit where information is electronically transmitted to indicate when a detector is close to malfunctioning or inoperablility, so that repairs/replacement can occcur without lapse, IY”H.
Yes i agree! it is very important to have CO detectors working at all time.
As a member of an organization we treated these situations several times the past month where Hatzalah was dispatched to such calls where high levels of CO were detected in homes with sleeping families and once recently with a new born baby where O&R and Hatzalah were contacted immediately.
And in regards to your concern where people cannot afford, i would not say that this is where people should look at their money but our organization have had calls where our members saw that the household would no afford new detectors so we delivered them brand new detectors within a few minutes.