Joe Cramer's journey on the road to recovery from carbon monoxide poisoning was the genesis of The Wyoming Riddler. Throughout his career as the Riddler, he tried to raise awareness of the dangers of carbon monoxide poisoning. With The Grand Rapids Riddler, I intend to keep the Riddler's journey going. Please take some time to read through and learn about the dangers.
The state of Michigan provides some good information related to carbon monoxide poisoning, covering areas such as:
WHAT IS CARBON MONOXIDE?
Carbon Monoxide (CO) is a colorless odorless gas produced by incomplete combustion. CO can be produced by a number of things including: an automobile, a faulty furnace, or a faulty water heater. CO attaches itself to the red blood cells while displacing the oxygen that is normally carried by these cells. This depletes the amount of oxygen being delivered to the body's vital organs. CO builds in the body cumulatively over time. Therefore, a small dose over a long period of time can be just as dangerous as a large dose over a short period of time.
DO I REALLY NEED A CO DETECTOR?
Yes. A CO detector can alert you and your family to this otherwise undetectable lethal gas. Signs and symptoms of CO poisoning include headache, fatigue, and drowsiness. These are all the same type of signs and symptoms of a typical cold. You may go to bed to relieve this "cold" not realizing that you have been poisoned by CO. Just like in this case, a CO detector could save your life.
WHAT DO I DO IF MY CO DETECTOR STARTS GOING OFF?
Do not panic if your detector starts going off. Complete a check of yourself and your family to make sure everyone is fine. Find out if anyone is feeling ill such as dizzy, lightheaded, headache or fatigue.
If someone is not feeling normal, evacuate the house and call 911. The fire department and ambulance will be dispatched with medical equipment to treat your symptoms and CO monitoring devices to survey your residence.
If everyone is normal and has no complaints, do some investigating. Start with the detector, make sure it is operating properly and check the battery. Next, check anything that produces heat. Make sure these items are in proper working order, vented properly and clean. You may call 911 and request the fire department investigate, or call a licensed contractor to detect the problem and fix it.
