Safety Communication Health Education Future
A place for families to explore what it means to be responsible

Isn't this a beautiful family?  They are like so many other parents looking to give their children the best in life.  On Thanksgiving, the Lofgren parents from Denver, Colorado brought their 10-year-old son and 8-year-old daughter to a beautiful, newly built, luxury home they had rented for the holiday in Aspen.  They ate their Thanksgiving meal and went to sleep that night expecting their good friends to join them the following day.

Unfortunately, they never saw those friends who were coming to meet them because they never woke up.  There was a carbon monoxide leak in a pipe in this new home and all four of the family members passed away in their sleep. They were killed by what is known as "the silent killer" or carbon monoxide. It sounds quite cliche to say this, but through their sad story, their deaths will help save lives.  Look at that picture of this wonderful family and let it remind you how important this message is.

During the winter months, hundereds of people in the United States die from carbon monoxide poisoning while thousands more seek treatment for symptoms associated with the gas.  Carbon monoxide can leak from furnaces, stoves, water heaters and cars and because the gas has no odor, victims often do not know they are being poisoned until it is too late.

Here are some carbon monoxide safety tips to keep your family safe from this very common hazard.  Please pass along this post to all of your friends and family to keep them safe.  

1. Purchase, utilize and frequently test your carbon monoxide detector.  There are three different kinds of detectors: plug in, battery operated and one that is wired to your home alarm system, which is the preferred mode.
2. Bring a plug in or battery operated carbon monoxide detector with you when you travel, especially during winter months.
3. If muliple people in your home start to feel light headed, nauseous or otherwise ill, evacuate the home and call the fire department to inspect the house immediately.
4. Warm up cars outside, never in the garage especially if it is attached to the home.
5. Never burn charcoal inside the home for grilling or cooking.
6. Utilize electric generators and anything that produces exhaust outside of the home or garage.
7. Have a qualified technician inspect your home's heating and gas systems annually.  They will need to get a digital reading of the carbon monoxide levels around your stove, oven, furnace, water heater and any other gas burning appliances.
8. Pass this message along to all of your loved ones, right now.

The Lofgrens could have been saved if someone had forwarded this message on to them.  Pass it on.  And if you don't have a carbon monoxide detector on every level of your home, now is the time to get them!  And if you are traveling, purchase a portable detector and bring it with you!   

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