Minnesota’s state Fire Marshall’s office is launching a campaign to highlight the silent, but deadly dangers of carbon monoxide poisoning – encouraging everyone to have monitors, while giving out free ones across the state.

Douglas County

Minnesota officials are raising awareness about the dangers of carbon monoxide exposure after a couple in Douglas County was hospitalized due to high levels of the gas in their home. The incident was linked to an out-of-compliance water heater and furnace, and authorities noted the couple had recently begun using their furnace for the season.

In response, the Minnesota State Fire Marshal's office is distributing free carbon monoxide alarms in eight counties and encouraging residents to ensure their detectors are functional, as required by state law. A new public safety campaign is also being launched, featuring ads across various media to highlight the risks of carbon monoxide, which is responsible for an average of 14 deaths annually in the state. The campaign is partly inspired by a mother who lost two sons to carbon monoxide poisoning, and federal funding for the alarm giveaway is named in their honor.

Minnesota officials highlight the dangers of carbon monoxide exposure

A Douglas County couple was hospitalized Sunday night after dangerously high levels of carbon monoxide were found inside of their home. A 47 year old woman called 911 believing she was having a heart attack and said her 49 year old husband was having a seizure. Dispatchers suspected the symptoms were from carbon monoxide and told them to leave their house now. Authorities believe the leak was caused by an out of compliance water heater and furnace deputies noted the couple had recently started using their furnace for the season. And we're unaware of any issues. The Minnesota State Fire Marshal's office launching a major campaign to give out free carbon monoxide alarms in eight counties and encourage everyone to make sure that they have them calling CEO the hidden monster. Fox 9 Rob Olson is live at Diamond Lake Ace Hardware in Minneapolis tonight, so Rob CEO detectors are readily available and really aren't that expensive. So can you start by talking to us about this program that is giving them away? Yeah, well first here, I mean the carbon monoxide detectors plug in versions for 27. 359950. I guess this is the plug in with a battery backup. I mean so relatively inexpensive, required by law, but is part of a federal grant. Minnesota now getting funding to to give out 2500 smoke detectors as part of a campaign this year and in communities that have been designated. Is those that have the most at risk of people having carbon monoxide issues? So Austin Bemidji Brainerd, Duluth Red Wing, Rochester, Virginia Wilmer getting carbon monoxide detectors being handed out for free but again encouraging people to to make sure that you have them. It's required by state law to make sure that they're in working order as well or replaced if necessary. Because of the number of lives that can be saved from this and pretty pretty emotional stuff today that we heard as well. Yeah, there's really been a push here, Rob. There's also a new ad campaign from the Department of Public Safety. Where will we be able to see this ad? Well, they're they're going to put it out on social media out on web pages. On ads as well at gas station screens. They're going to do some satellite radio ads as well and it will show you some of these here. Some of the videos are pretty pretty sharply produced here. Just saying that you know aliens or werewolves or witches. Those aren't the monsters you have to worry about. It's the other monster in your home, which is carbon monoxide because it's, you know, you can't smell it, taste it, etc. It just is. That's why they call it the silent killer. And so this is the ad campaign. You know, they say it's a average of 14 people in Minnesota die from carbon monoxide poisoning every year, so they're really pushing this. Yeah, the silent killer. Also the hidden monster Rob. Someone is really speaking up about this. When announcing this, a very powerful story shared by a Minnesota mother who has been very involved for decades now and just warning people about some of these dangers. Yeah, Cheryl Burt spoke today and she's spoken a lot over the years. It was 30 years ago, just about 30 years ago when she and her husband and oldest son were hospitalized from carbon monoxide poisoning. And this is up near the Saint Cloud area. Her two youngest sons died. She said they had moved into an older home when they turned the furnace on in October. Then they started feeling sick and they were going to the doctor. Couldn't figure out what was wrong. She was accused of being a hypochondriac, but then it got really cold. They turned the furnace up. The emissions from a leak that they didn't know was there increased. And just a nightmare. Here's a bit of what she said today in this podcast. Today in this press conference. Had we plugged this in? My whole entire life. Would be so different. So I don't want anyone to experience the pain of carbon monoxide. The pain of losing any loved ones. The pain of having to live your life, advocating for people. To please put something simple into your home. There's laws now that say you gotta have a man, you know, just do it. Yeah, and I tell you what is the the federal funding the grant that is paying for the smoke detector giveaway is named in honor of her two sons. It was a bill pushed by Senator Amy Klobuchar and passed three years ago back to you. Yeah, Rob, I gotta tell you when I heard you were doing this story, the first thing I did was go to and put it in my basket so I can order it. So the more we keep talking about it, hopefully it'll save even more lives. Rob, thank you.

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