GREEN BAY (NBC 26) — Daylight Saving Time ends Sunday morning, both the Green Bay Metro Fire Department and Brown County Public Health and Center for Childhood Safety are reminding community members to check their carbon monoxide detectors.
The fire department says when you turn back your clocks by an hour, it's also a good time to replace the batteries in your carbon monoxide alarms.
“We tend to see more carbon monoxide related emergencies in the cooler months,” Green Bay Metro Fire Lieutenant Shauna Walesh said in a press release. “Now is the time for Brown County residents to make sure their heating sources, smoke detectors, and carbon monoxide detectors are in good working order.”
According to the Wisconsin Department of Health Services, about 500 Wisconsin residents visit the emergency room because of carbon monoxide poisoning every year.
The fire department says high levels of carbon monoxide can cause death within minutes.
Symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning include headache, feeling dizzy, shortness of breath, nausea, fatigue, and confusion. If you feel like you're breathing in too much carbon monoxide, or if your alarm goes off, you are encouraged to head outside immediately and call 911.
Below are some safety tips to help protect yourself and your loved ones from carbon monoxide poisoning:
- Make sure your carbon monoxide alarms are working
- Have a professional inspect your furnace or wood-burning stove on a yearly basis
- Never run any grill, gasoline, or propane heater inside your residence or garage
- If you're using a generator, make sure it is running at least 20 feet from your residence
- Never run your vehicle in a tight or enclosed space
