Cobourg, ON (November 1, 2024) – Carbon Monoxide (CO) Awareness Week runs November 1-7, and the Cobourg Fire Department is reminding everyone to recognize the health risks and danger CO poses with tips, suggestions, and advice on how to protect your family and stay safe.

Each year, communities across Ontario recognize CO Awareness Week to promote the use of CO alarms and to educate Ontarians about CO including how to prevent exposure, the health hazards of CO poisoning, and what to do in the event of a CO leak.

"Having a working CO alarm in your home is the surest way to know you and your family are protected from exposure and injury from a CO leak," said Deputy Fire Chief Kevin Ashfield. "CO is a colourless, odourless, and tasteless gas making it impossible to detect without a working CO alarm."

By law, in Ontario, CO alarms are required to be installed outside all sleeping areas of homes with a fuel-burning appliance, fireplace, or attached garage.

"The importance of having a carbon monoxide alarm installed outside all sleeping areas and the role it plays in preventing deaths cannot be stressed enough," says Jon Pegg, Ontario’s Fire Marshal. "The law is in place to save lives and only a working carbon monoxide alarm will identify the presence of a carbon monoxide leak in your home before it’s too late."

The Cobourg Fire Department reminds everyone that CO exposure can cause headaches, nausea, dizziness, breathlessness, collapse, loss of consciousness, and death. Safety starts with awareness – practice the following and protect yourself and loved ones from carbon monoxide:

• Test CO alarms each month and change the batteries at least once a year using Day Light Savings Time changes as a reminder
• Have fuel-burning appliances – furnace, gas stove, fireplace – annually inspected by a trained, certified technician to check for a leak at the source
• Ensure all chimneys and vents are clean and clear of obstructions
• If a CO alarm activates or you suspect someone in your home has symptoms of CO poisoning, immediately go outside and call 9-1-1
• Never use a barbecue, portable fuel-burning camping equipment, or gas-powered generators indoors

For more information, you can find Cobourg Fire Department Firefighters and Chief Fire Prevention Officer Aaron Blair at Cobourg's Home Hardware (650 Division Street, Cobourg ON K9A 0K3) on Sunday, November 3, 2024, from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.

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