Protect Your Family Against Carbon Monoxide Poisoning

The northern winds and dipping temperatures across the nation should be an annual reminder to protect your family, employees and animal companions from the dangers of carbon monoxide. Winter is the season with the highest occurrence rate of CO poisoning, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In fact, CO poisoning results in at least two deaths in the U.S. each day in January, which accounts for a three-fold increase in fatality rates over all the summer months combined.

A main reason for this is improperly maintained gas-powered furnaces, as well as the use of portable generators and propane stoves to heat homes and cook food during power outages. To help minimize these tragedies, the National Fire Protection Association urges property owners to inspect, protect and detect for CO safety.

Inspect all fuel-burning appliances
This should be done annually by a qualified technician.

Protect occupants with a CO detector
Contact Ashton Security about installing UL-listed CO detectors outside each sleeping area and on every level of a home, including the basement and any other locations required by applicable law.

Detect a dangerous situation
CO detectors connected to a monitored security system provide the highest level of protection. Too often, serious illness or fatalities happen in multitudes because building occupants do not recognize there is a build-up of the odorless, tasteless gas that is often referred to as a silent killer.

Devices sending a trouble signal to the control panel when a system-connected CO detector reaches its end-of-life is another benefit of monitoring service. That means if a CO situation arises or the gas sensor has reached its end-of-life, you will be notified by the detector's audible beeping, a message at the control panel and a telephone call from Ashton Security Without this level of constant supervision, a life-safety system is compromised.