Carbon monoxide detector saves Starkville family’s lives
STARKVILLE, Miss. (WCBI) – When alarms go off inside homes, most people think of fire. But carbon monoxide can be just as deadly.
“It kept going off and it would not stop. I said to my kids before we lay down, ‘I just have to call the fire department.’ At first, I was not going to call but I kept fanning it and trying to take the batteries out and it was not working either. So, I called the fire department, and they said yes, the levels are very high,” said Chiquita Posley, a tenant at Pecan Acres.
She said she is thankful to have been warned that something was wrong inside her home before it was too late.
“You just have to take every day and thank God. I am very thankful because it could have been way worse. Me or my kids would not have been here today. So, it is just a life lesson. I am just thankful and grateful,” said Posley.
Starkville Fire Chief Charles Yarbrough said the quick response by Posley and his department likely saved the family’s life.
“My firefighters responded, and when they got there, they took out a meter and checked for carbon monoxide. There was some present in the house. But thankfully, the family got out of the house prior to us getting there. If they would have gone to sleep that night, it probably would have been a different situation. Thank God they recognized that something was wrong, and got out of the house,” said Yarbrough.
Yarbrough said carbon monoxide kills about 400 people a year, and you should have a detector installed in your home so you are not the next victim.
“The best thing to do is to simply have a carbon monoxide detector. This is something that will save your life, and it is something that needs to be placed in your home if you have gas appliances,” said Yarbrough.
Posley had some advice for her neighbors.
“Just making sure you check in with your landlord and make sure everything is properly equipped. Just make sure you take the necessary precautions because it can happen to anybody. A lot of people do not know about carbon monoxide, they just think smelling and smoke, but do not think about carbon monoxide because you cannot smell it or see it,” said Posley.
