Here’s an important reminder that carbon monoxide (CO) detectors are required by state law to be installed in homes by July 1, 2011.
Below is a news release from CAL FIRE (California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection) outlining the basics. CAL FIRE recommends that CO alarms be installed outside each sleeping area and on every level of the home including the basement. The CO alarm can warn you if too much CO is in your home. Keep CO alarms clear of dust and debris. Ensure CO alarms are plugged all the way into a working outlet, or if battery operated, have working batteries. There are combination smoke detector/carbon monoxide detectors on the market.
From CAL FIRE’s CO Fact Sheet:
You can’t see or smell carbon monoxide, but at high levels it can kill a person in minutes. Carbon monoxide (CO) is produced whenever any fuel such as gas, oil, kerosene, wood, or charcoal is burned. If appliances that burn fuel are maintained and used properly, the amount of CO produced is usually not hazardous. However, if appliances are not working properly or are used incorrectly, dangerous levels of CO can result.
Please visit www.fire.ca.gov and scroll down to “New Law Requires Carbon Monoxide Detectors in Homes” for more details.
Thanks,
~ malcolm
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New Law Requires Carbon Monoxide Detectors in Homes
Sacramento – Starting July 1, 2011 new legislation will go into effect requiring homeowners to install carbon
monoxide detectors in every California home; a move CAL FIRE officials say will save lives.
“Carbon monoxide is a silent killer, each year claiming the lives
of an average of 480 people,” said Acting State Fire Marshal Tonya Hoover. “And
sending more than 20,000 people to emergency rooms across the nation.”
Carbon monoxide (CO) is a
colorless, odorless gas that is produced from heaters, fireplaces, furnaces and
many types of appliances and cooking devices. The best way for homeowners to
stay protected from CO is to have a carbon
monoxide detector installed on every floor and outside each sleeping area. A recent
study found that nearly nine in 10 California households did not have a Detector.
“Having a CO detector is a small investment that really can help save your life
and the lives of your family,” said Chief Hoover.
To help educate homeowners about
the new law and to encourage them to install a carbon monoxide detector, CAL
FIRE / Office of the State Fire Marshal is teaming up with fire departments
across the state, the Home Safety Council, First Alert and Lowe’s to host “CO
Saturday” on June 4. “CO Saturday “will be a special day-long safety celebration
to teach families how to prevent carbon monoxide poisoning.
Though previous laws only
required newly-constructed homes to havoc alarms, the state’s new Carbon
Monoxide Poisoning Prevention Act (Senate Bill 183) requires owners of all
existing single-family homes with an attached garage or a fossil fuel source to
install CO alarm devices within the home by July 1, 2011.
Owners of multi-family leased or
rental dwellings, such as apartment buildings, have until January 1, 2013 to
comply with the law.
For more information on how to
prevent carbon monoxide poisoning visit the CAL FIRE website at www.fire.ca.gov.
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