A Saskatoon mother is relieved a carbon monoxide detector woke her family up late at night and she now wants other people to ensure their own safety.
Around 5 a.m. CT on Sunday, Briana Koop and her husband awoke to the blaring sound of an alarm telling them to get out of the house immediately.
READ MORE: 1 dead, 4 hospitalized after ‘elevated levels of carbon monoxide’ detected in Edmonton home
“Had the worst happened, we just wouldn’t have woken up,” Koop said.
“Our only consolation was that we would’ve gone with our kids.”
Thanks to their functioning detector, the family evacuated the home and the Saskatoon Fire Department responded.
Two-year-old Dane, who has asthma, suffered an attack Koop said was related to the carbon monoxide. His five-year-old sister, Addison, and their nine-year-old friend, Clara, were nauseous.
Other common symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning include headaches, fatigue, drowsiness and vomiting. More severe issues include intense headaches, brain damage, loss of consciousness, coma and in extreme circumstances, death.
They visited the emergency room and later returned home. The alarm went off again. Koop said the problem was the furnace.
“It was just a part that was installed somewhat faulty, so over time it wears out and so, it really could happen literally to anyone,” Koop said.
With the problem fixed, she’s reaching out to people with a Facebook post documenting her experience. She wants others to buy working detectors and get their furnaces checked.
READ MORE: Experts warn homeowners to shovel vents to prevent CO poisoning
Most detectors only last for about seven years, though new models can last ten years, according to Saskatoon Fire Department assistant chief Rob Hogan.
“So it’s important that you have the date of manufacture off the detector and ensure that’s kept up to date,” Hogan said.
The Canada Safety Council has the following tips for carbon monoxide safety:
- Maintain and clean furnaces, fireplaces and all fuel-burning appliances annually
- Install a carbon monoxide alarm and check the battery regularly
- Know the symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning
- Never heat a home with a gas stove
- Don’t use barbecues, charcoal or hibachi grills indoors
- Clear snow from vents for the dryer, furnace, stove and fireplace
- Don’t operate a gas-powered generator in a home
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