You should test your carbon monoxide alarms while you’re changing your clocks this weekend, says Prescott Fire Chief Renny Raynor.
November 1st through 7th every year is Carbon Monoxide Awareness Week, and Raynor wants residents to make sure they’re safe from the deadly gas.
“Carbon monoxide is called the silent killer, because it’s invisible, tasteless and odorless,” Raynor explains, “and the body can absorb it quite quickly. It can cause lethal possibilities with people, insofar as headaches, nausea, dizziness, and perhaps even death.”
Raynor says you should have carbon monoxide alarms outside the sleeping areas in your home, and near any fuel-burning appliances like a furnace or water heater.
He says alarms should have a button you can press to test them. If they don’t work, he says you can buy a new one at many local hardware stores.
If your alarm goes off, Raynor says you should leave your home with the doors and windows all shut, and call the Fire Department to investigate, especially if you have symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning.
