COMMENTARY: CO detectors can be placed anywhere

From Brad Emans
Hutchinson fire chief
Apparently people who study useless information have indicated that only the first paragraph is actually read in most articles in newspapers and magazines. So not to take any chances, I will put the most important paragraph first.

Two Hutchinson residents died and one is in critical condition from carbon monoxide poisoning. I have written articles about carbon monoxide nine different times since the law went into place January 2007. Instead of dwelling on the past, let's learn from this tragedy and move on. One more time — you should have a CO (carbon monoxide) detector within 10 feet of every sleeping room. Remember that a sleeping room can be your home, your cabin, your camper, your fish house, or even the back seat of your car. Mount them low, high or in the middle, it doesn't matter as long as you have one that works. They last about five years, so write the year it was purchased on back. Let's not let this type of tragedy happen again.

Paragraph No. 2, this is where I lose most readers, but this is such a good story that I would not want to miss it. I received a phone call this week from an elderly resident in a neighboring city. The lady indicated that she and her husband had just installed their first natural gas furnace, for that matter, first gas appliance, and that she did not like natural gas because it blows up houses and therefore she was afraid. Naturally, I was curious as to why she called me since she does not live in our fire district, so I asked why she did not call her own fire department. Well, much to my surprise, she indicated that she reads my articles and knew that I could help her ... I thought wow, she must be the one.

Here we go. The pressure is on for this one. I told her that the times have changed regarding gas safety in the home. First, gas is scented with a chemical that smells like rotten eggs, so you can smell even the smallest leak. Her response surprised me by saying, “Nope, can't smell.”

“OK,” I said. “Then we need to move on and discuss residential gas detectors. Are you surprised that they make them? And that they are affordable? They make CO gas combination detectors, and they make residential gas-only detectors. Stop in your local hardware, building supply store, read the directions, and then follow those directions ‘guys.’”

Paragraph No. 3, the “thanking.” The national Fire Prevention Week in Hutchinson grew into Fire Prevention Month and has now progressed into Fire Prevention "six weeks."

Of course we promote safety throughout the year through various classes and demonstrations, but nationwide the real focus on fire safety has always been the first full week of October to coincide with the Great Chicago Fire. At the end of the six weeks, we will have conducted 52 classes for residents from preschool to senior citizens. The question asked most frequently is "does the education make a difference?" I guess my response would be that I have no documented evidence that fires have been prevented and lives have been saved due to our effort. But I also feel that you don't know what you don't know, and education is the only way to address that.

In closing, I want to personally thank my wife, Sonia Emans, and Nora Young, two citizen volunteers for the countless hours they donated in assisting us with our education program throughout the entire year.
Stay safe ... call if you need us.