MIDDLEVILLE, Mich. — A Barry County family dealt with a scary situation when their carbon monoxide alarm startled them out of bed one night.
Thankfully, they knew just what to do — and they say it's because of something they saw on FOX 17 News.
"It's alarming when that alarm first goes off and you're trying to figure out what's going on," Kathy Lawson said.
Kathy Lawson and her husband, Jeff, have lived in their Middleville home for nearly 24 hours.
A week prior to their carbon monoxide detector going off, the Lawsons had lost power during a storm.
"At that time, you're unsure of things. So, went outside, checked all of our exhaust pipes...made sure everything was clear," Lawson recalled. "During that week in between, my husband was watching FOX 17 and seen the E.S.C.A.P.E. program on there with Mike McLeieer. And we had discussed that maybe it's time to upgrade."
Carbon Monoxide is a colorless, odorless, tasteless gas. It's often referred to as "the silent killer."
"Of course, at that point, you cannot smell anything, nor can you see anything, so you're unsure of what's going on at the time," Lawson said.
So, the Lawsons called for help, and the Yankee Springs Township Fire Department responded right away.
“They came very quickly, and there were a few of them. And they were in full gear. And they came through our home at every level and checked for carbon monoxide. They checked all appliances at that time. They did a remarkable job of checking everything and being courteous and kind during the situation," Lawson said.
“No one was having any symptoms, so they went inside the residence, checked the residence with our instrument, the carbon monoxide instrument, and [came] up with zero readings,” Yankee Springs Township Fire Department Deputy Fire Chief Dan Miller added.
They found that the detector had malfunctioned due to age and the recent power outage, which is why it could be life-saving to act now.
"We were able to get, due to that program, the E.S.C.A.P.E. program and FOX 17 working with various fire departments within Michigan, we were able to get new detectors from them, as well," Lawson said.
"They came out to the fire station and took two sealed detectors, brand new with ten-year lithium batteries and such, and installed them in the residence," Deputy Fire Chief Miller added.
FOX 17 and E.S.C.A.P.E. Inc. teamed up with local fire departments and the American Red Cross to provide and install smoke and carbon monoxide alarms in owner-occupied homes throughout West Michigan.
To schedule a free smoke alarm or carbon monoxide detector installation, email safe@fox17online.com or call 844-978-4400.
READ MORE: Keep Michigan SAFE
