Carbon Monoxide Response

1. Carbon Monoxide Response Cole County Fire Protection District

2. Carbon Monoxide • Colorless, odorless, toxic, Flammable • Blood hemoglobin that prefers oxygen • Carboxy-hemoglobin forms and suffocates the oxygen from the human system

3. Symptoms • Similar to the flue • May include headaches, nausea, fatigue and dizzy spells • Poisoning may be difficult to diagnose

4. Treatment • Call EMS to respond if patients exhibit CO symptoms • Give high flow O2 to the patient and monitor their vital signs

5. Guidelines • The CO call is to be an Emergency call to the closest engine and a non emergency run for all others • The call consists of one engine with a CO detector • This call requires 3 personnel to respond respond

6. OSHA’s Carbon Monoxide work and residential levels • Maximum safe work levels in an eight hour period is 35 parts per million. • Maximum safe residential levels in an eight hour period is 9 parts per million

7. Procedures for a CO call • Upon arrival establish command • Check occupants for sickness or symptoms of CO • Make sure building is closed up and secured for a good CO reading with a meter • If no symptoms prevalent, proceed to check that the detector sounding is a CO detector not a smoke detector

8. Information • Gather information about events that lead up to the sounding of the detector • Have they ventilated the building • What type of appliances are in the house • Did they back a car in the garage or run it in the garage

9. Investigation Procedures • Zero the meter in fresh air (this determines zero base line) comply with all start up procedures in the manual • Initiate a survey of the building keeping records of the readings in all rooms • All personnel shall don SCBA in atmospheres in excess of 100 ppm of CO • Do not test the meter with vehicle exhaust

10. 0 to 9 PPM • Inform the home owner/occupants that the co levels were not detectable • Recommend the detector be checked per the manufactures recommendations • Inform occupants if the detector activates again to call 911

11. 9 to 100 PPM • Inform occupant/owner that the meter detected a above normal reading potentially dangerous level • Recommend all persons to leave the premises and ventilate the building • Call the utility company if needed (UE may not respond to your call) • Shut off gas supply to the problem unit until a qualified service person checks the systems in the building

12. 100 PPM or Greater • These readings are considered potentially lethal • Inform the owner/occupants of the detectors readings • Order an evacuation of all persons and ventilate • Shut off the gas to the affected utility and inform the occupants to call the gas service company to check the service and the device

13. UE Recommendations • Union Electric recommends from 10ppm and up to find and turn off the appliance that is affected and call a service repair man. • UE will not respond to calls that don’t apply to their service. From meter into house.

14. Documentation • All readings need to be noted and reported on the incident report or an attached sheet • Record the make, model and serial number of the alarming detector • Give a good narrative of all your actions on the incident report • Note the utility company called to the scene • Note all information given to inhabitants prior to leaving the scene

15. Deviations • When the situations don’t fit these guidelines it is up to the incident commander or company officer at the scene to deviate as necessary to deal with the scene as they see fit