Four people were taken to hospital Monday night following a carbon monoxide incident inside a home on Bridlewood Avenue.
Emergency crews were called to the home around 8 p.m. as a car was left running inside the garage that set off a carbon monoxide detector inside the home.
“When fire crews arrived, they measured up to 2,000 parts per million in the garage and that was due to a vehicle that was left running in the garage. Our devices only go up to a measurement of 2,000 parts per million so it could have been more,” explained Carol Henke, Calgary Fire Department public information officer.
“At that level, if there were people inside the garage at that point, there would have been fatalities.”
Calgary Police said three people were transferred to a hospital in Edmonton for treatment in a hyperbaric chamber.
One person was in life-threatening condition while two others were in serious condition. A fourth person was sent to a hospital in Calgary.
Calgary police said the incident was not criminal and described it as an accident.
Henke says every home should have at least one carbon monoxide alarm.
“We recommend having (a carbon monoxide alarm) on every level (of your home) but if you only have one, please put it in your sleeping area so that in the middle of the night, if there’s an issue, you will hear it activate and go into alarm.”
She adds that all carbon monoxide alarms should be tested monthly and replaced when they reach their expiration date. Batteries in CO detectors should be replaced at least once a year.