KENTWOOD, Mich. — A medical emergency in Kentwood this week is serving as a stark reminder for residents about the dangers of carbon monoxide poisoning, especially as winter weather forces people to keep their homes sealed tight.
Kentwood Fire Chief Brent Looman is warning neighbors about the "silent killer" after responding to a severe carbon monoxide poisoning case on Monday.
"It is a silent killer. You just don't even know what's happening," Looman said.
When firefighters arrived at the scene, their carbon monoxide alarms activated almost immediately.
"When the crew walked in, their alarms went off relatively quickly, and noticed the symptoms of the person that had called and we're consistent with that carbon monoxide poisoning," Looman said.
The dangerous gas is particularly threatening because it's undetectable without proper equipment.
"It doesn't smell you. Don't know it's colorless. You just don't even recognize. You have a problem other than maybe you're starting to feel ill or feel sick," Looman said.
According to the World Health Organization, normal carbon monoxide readings should be no more than 10 parts per million over an eight-hour period. The Monday emergency involved levels that were 50 times higher than that threshold.
"Above 500 in that house, and so we're able to quickly ventilate, get that patient out to fresh air and safety, and get that person transported to the hospital," Looman said.
Winter months create particularly dangerous conditions for carbon monoxide buildup in homes.
"We close our houses up. It's cold out, we turn our furnaces on," Looman said. "Whether it's a it's a fuel burning furnace, or it's a fuel burning wood burner, something along that lines where you have incomplete combustion, that's where you get a carbon monoxide to kick off again."
To prevent similar emergencies, Looman recommends two critical safety measures for homeowners.
"Certainly, having a detector is very important. The next most important thing would be certainly getting a furnace inspected." Looman said.
The fire chief says carbon monoxide detectors have already proven their worth in the community.
"We know of three saves we've had already from carbon monoxide alarms being installed in homes." Looman said.
Kentwood residents who need a carbon monoxide detector installed in their home can contact Kentwood Fire Station 1 for assistance.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
