For more information contact:
Lori Getter, WEM Office (608) 242-3239 or cell (608) 516-0293
Tod Pritchard, WEM Office:(608) 242-3324 or cell (608) 219-4008
Daylight Saving Time ends Sunday, November 1, 2015
(MADISON) – Daylight Saving Time ends this Sunday as we “fall back” and set clocks back one hour. This is also a great time to check the things that keep us safe and ready for emergencies such as smoke and carbon monoxide detectors.
“This fall, we’ve already seen reports of people taken to hospitals after suffering from carbon monoxide poisoning,” said Brian Satula, Wisconsin Emergency Management Administrator. “In many cases, the source of the carbon monoxide is a malfunctioning home furnace.”
According to the Wisconsin Department of Health Services, about 450 people each year in Wisconsin are taken to hospital emergency rooms for symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning. At high levels, carbon monoxide can cause death within minutes. Symptoms of overexposure to carbon monoxide include headaches, fatigue, dizziness, shortness of breath, nausea, and confusion. If you suspect you may be experiencing carbon monoxide poisoning, or your detector sounds an alarm, head outside immediately for fresh air and call 911.
“As we turn back the clocks, it’s important to also check home devices that protect our families from carbon monoxide poisoning,” said Karen McKeown, State Health Officer. “To prepare for winter weather, Wisconsin residents should ensure their source of heat and their carbon monoxide detectors are in good working order.”
To protect your family from carbon monoxide, follow these safety tips:
-Make sure you have working carbon monoxide detectors. All homes and duplexes in Wisconsin are required to have detectors on every level, including the basement, but not the attic or storage areas. Detectors can be purchased at most hardware stores.
-Have your furnace or wood-burning stove inspected annually. Hire a professional to make sure it is functionally sound and vents properly outside the home.
-Never run a gasoline or propane heater or a grill (gas or charcoal) inside your home or in an unventilated garage. Any heating system that burns fuel produces carbon monoxide. Use a battery-powered detector where you have fuel burning devices but no electric outlets, such as in tents, cabins, RVs, and boats with enclosed cabins.
-Never run a car in an enclosed space. If a vehicle is running, you must have a door open to the outside.
-Generators should be run a safe distance from the home. Never run a generator in the home or garage, or right next to windows or doors.
Smoke Detectors- Three out of five home fire deaths happen from fires in homes with no smoke alarms or no working smoke alarms. Check and replace batteries if needed and make sure the devices around your house are working properly. The U.S. Consumer Products Safety Commission estimates that about 16 million homes in the nation have smoke alarms that do not work, due, in most cases, to dead or missing batteries.
Emergency Kits- Everyone should have a basic emergency kit in their home with supplies such as food and water to last you and your family for at least three days. Other items like a battery powered or crank radio, flashlights, first aid kit should also be included. Daylight Savings Time is a perfect time to get a kit and if you already have a kit, check it to make sure food and other items are not near or past their expiration dates.
For more information on carbon monoxide poisoning, visit: http://dhs.wisconsin.gov/eh/Air/fs/CO.htm.
For tips on emergency preparedness: http://readywisconsin.wi.gov.
