Aberdeen, SD – Four members of a family were transported to Sanford Hospital Sunday afternoon for carbon monoxide poisoning.
At about 1:30 p.m. Aberdeen Fire and Rescue and the Aberdeen Police Department responded to a call in the 1400 block of South Second Street for a suspected case of carbon monoxide poisoning.
Aberdeen police officers Kyle Stoddard and Arika Dingmann were the first on the scene. Stoddard said he and Dingmann had to carry members of the family out of the house. Family members included a grandmother, mother and two children. Stoddard did not have names for those involved, but said all were transported to Sanford Hospital because they were disoriented and “feeling the effects” of carbon monoxide poisoning.
Lieutenant Jim Medenwald of Aberdeen Fire and Rescue said carbon monoxide measurements in the house ranged from 50 parts per million to 800 ppm on the second story. As a comparison, he said, normal levels in a house range from 0-9 ppm.
Medenwald said carbon monoxide builds up in a house because of an incomplete burning of natural gas, and is the result of gas not venting properly out of a house. Medenwald said he’s unsure when the furnace was turned on in the house, but neighbors did say the family recently moved into the house.
Once the family was removed from the home and transported to the hospital, windows were opened and fans were used to incorporate fresh air into the house.
Medenwald said families who are just turning on their furnace can take steps to prevent carbon monoxide issues by making sure the system is clear of any obstructions. Companies that specialize in cleaning furnaces can help with this task.
Medenwald couldn’t say specifically how many carbon monoxide-related calls the Aberdeen Fire and Rescue has received recently, but said this time of year calls do increase. His best advise is to have a working carbon monoxide detector in the house to alert residents of potential issues. Carbon monoxide detectors should be placed on the same level of the house as the furnace, but not right next to the furnace. Carbon monoxide detectors should also be placed on each level of the house.
Medenwald said there are smoke detectors on the market that also detect carbon monoxide. It’s important that families have a detector, he said, because many symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning can be confused with flu-like symptoms.
Carbon monoxide is colorless, odorless and tasteless.