IT WAS an otherwise quiet evening at home with the youngest daughter tucked away in bed upstairs and my wife, oldest daughter and myself in the family room, catching the latest Rob Ford news on The National.
That’s when four distinct beeps were heard. Then four more. My wife went to investigate, a trip that took her to our carbon monoxide (C0) detector plugged into a socket in the upper hallway.
She read the back. Upon hearing four beeps, leave for a source of fresh air. Call 911. I was not so sure, content to fiddle with the detector, thinking it was malfunctioning.
Our youngest daughter takes her school-taught safety instructions seriously. Out the door she went followed by my wife, oldest daughter and, reluctantly, myself.
Two Terrace firefighters responded to the 911 call. At the front door, their own detector read high levels of carbon monoxide. One of the firefighters, wearing breathing apparatus, came back with news of a C0 spike at our old natural gas fireplace.
A Pacific Northern Gas employee was called. Using his own detector, he zeroed in on the reason – a gap between two of the fireplace’s tempered glass pieces.
That fireplace now awaits servicing. Our thanks to the quick responses by the firefighters and gas person.
Two obvious lessons here. Buy a C0 detector. And always – always – listen to your wife and children.
Rod Link, Publisher/Editor
