Time to get your detector

‘Tis the season to be thinking about that colorless, odorless gas: carbon monoxide.

"It's something to think about all the time,” said Dr. Ruth Lawrence, the medical director of the poison center at Strong Memorial Hospital.

And she says part of that means taking preventative measures like installing a CO detector. She says it can save your life.

“The alarm helps you, particularly during the night when you're innocently lying in bed,” she said.

The assistant fire chief from Spencerport says it would have taken just one detector to alert the family in Ogden to get out quicker. The more CO you have in the house, the sooner the alarm goes off.

“Most important is that you have one and you locate it just outside your bedroom area,” said Brian Krwry.

And he says you can never be too safe. If you install a second alarm, you should put it up high in your basement, near the furnace, and you should look for a certain kind in your local hardware store.

“I prefer the plug-in,” he said. “Of course the plug-in with battery backup (is better) so if you lose power you still have it."

Most detectors last three to ten years. But if you're alarm ever fails you, and you think you feel the effects of carbon monoxide poisoning, your best bet is always to getting out of your house.

“We recommend you just getting out into fresh air because the time you're taking to go open a window, you might be taking your last breath of air,” Krwry said.

Signs of CO poisoning include nausea, dizziness, headaches and an overall feeling of tiredness.