Kurt Hahn The Silent Killer, know as Carbon Monoxide or (CO) is a product of combustion or anything that burns.  Deaths and serious injuries as a result of this Silent Killer are preventable by properly installing a Carbon Monoxide Detector.  Amanda's Law, effective February 22, 2010 in New York State requires that Carbon Monoxide Detectors be installed and in operable condition in dwellings where there are appliances or systems that my emit Carbon Monoxide or have an attached garage. 

The law was named after Amanda Hansen, a teenager whose life was tragically ended by a Carbon Monoxide leak from a defective boiler while she was sleeping at a friend's house in January 2009.

Each year in America, unintentional Carbon Monoxide (CO) poisoning claims more than 500 lives and sends another 15,200 people to hospital emergency rooms for treatment according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

If your Carbon Monoxide alarm sounds, Dial 9-1-1 for the Fire Department to investigate the source of activation.  If Illness is a factor, Evacuate All Occupants Immediately and relay information to the 9-1-1 Dispatcher.

In 2007, an elderly couple from Cornwall were killed in their home from Carbon Monoxide as a result of a collapsed exhaust pipe in a wall mounted gas heater.  Their death could have been prevented if a Carbon Monoxide Detector was installed in the home. 

Carbon Monoxide Detectors cost between $18 for battery operated upto $50 for a plug-in outlet model with battery back-up...certainly affordable to save lives.  Carbon Monoxide Detectors should be installed, maintained and replaced according to manufacturer recommendations.  Average life-span of a CO Detector is about 5-years.

People commonly install Carbon Monoxide Detectors in the same room as their gas or oil fueled appliances.  Although this seems to make sense, we spend the majority of our time in living areas, not where our utilities are located.  Install CO Detectors in common living areas such as the family room or bedrooms and places where you spend the majority of time in your home...that will save you time when the alarm sounds to take action and save lives.  

to view the full story, click on the title for Carbon Monoxide factsheets and the related RecordOnline news article