“If you don’t have CO detector please get one, it is a matter of life and death,” said Charles Matthews.
Mathews has a message for homeowners who will be cranking up the heat in their homes during this cold spell. He says this because he’s been there and survived as his home filled with potentially deadly carbon monoxide.
CO is a colorless, odorless gas that can kill you. Symptoms are often described as “flu-like” and include nausea, vomiting, and confusion.
If you experience these, get to fresh air and call 911 right away.
“If it had happened earlier like when we were sleeping I would hate to happened,” Matthews said. "We were getting ready for church, I start feeling faint so I told my wife I wasn’t going to church and she told me to lay down. Next thing I know she was laying down beside me, she was feeling faint.”
His step-daughter started googling their symptoms then she passed out.
“My wife called the fire department and they were here in no time, God bless them, and got us out of here," he said.
Firefighters tested levels for the potentially deadly gas and got a high reading from the front porch.
Matthews was getting a new furnace installed, one designed to prevent carbon monoxide leaks.
“They have a safety device built in so it will shut down the furnace if carbon monoxide comes out,” said the mechanic installing the new furnace.
Still, Matthews has three CO detectors, one on each floor. He has used a space heater to keep warm in the meantime and as recommended keeping it far away from flammables, taking no chances with his second chance.
“God has His hand on us without a doubt,” he said.
Firefighters recommend getting your furnace serviced annually and installing carbon monoxide detectors. Batteries should be replaced during daylight savings time, just like you do with your smoke detectors.
