Chester Heights, PA – The lack of a carbon monoxide detector nearly cost a borough family their lives last month, but all is now well, thanks to a timely visit from a family member.
According to Chester Heights Fire Marshal Michael Ciocco, three residents (two 82-year-olds and a 55-year-old) of a Radford Court home had all succumbed to the CO fumes that were being emitted by a faulty hot water heater.
A son-in-law making a chance visit found the Guilda family lying unconscious on the floor of their home. The three CO poisoning victims were revived and are now in good health.
Ciocco recently told borough council that the absence of a CO detector, coupled with the 22-year-old water heater in this home, could have led to a tragedy.
The fire marshal also noted that the smoke alarms in the house were covered over with aluminum foil a common stop-gap measure to desensitize alarms that go off too often.
Ciocco advised the family that new smoke alarms for kitchens are less sensitive to ambient heat, so foil wrapping is not necessary.