The Tennessee Department of Commerce & Insurance has sent a shout-out to the “life savers” at Cumberland County Fire/Rescue (as well as all other Tennessee fire departments) who are helping save lives every day through the “Get Alarmed, Tennessee!” program! Because of Cumberland County Fire/Rescue’s work, a carbon monoxide (CO) detector installed through the program recently saved the life of a homeowner, which marks the first life saved by a CO detector since TDCI added them to their program.
While recently making lunch at home, the homeowner’s CO detector in her kitchen sounded which allowed her to escape and call firefighters. When Cumberland County Fire/Rescue firefighters arrived at the home, they used an air monitor to determine that a malfunctioning gas oven was releasing deadly levels of CO into the kitchen.
An odorless, colorless gas, CO is created when natural fuels used in household items such as heaters or gas-powered generators burn incompletely. Exposure to CO can cause loss of consciousness, illness, or even death. This homeowner’s working CO detector prevented a potential tragedy from occurring.
The Tennessee State Fire Marshal’s Office “Get Alarmed, Tennessee!” program puts home safety in the hands of firefighters and homeowners through a FREE smoke and CO alarm program.
So far, over 8,700 CO alarms have been distributed to Tennessee fire departments and over 1,500 CO alarms have been installed so far. Separately, the smoke alarm program has saved 527 lives since its inception in 2012. (Over 305,380 alarms that have been installed and 351,000 alarms have been distributed.)
Need working smoke or carbon monoxide alarms? Contact your local fire department and ask if they participate in the “Get Alarmed” or make a request for a free alarm at tn.gov/fire. (Photos courtesy Cumberland County Fire/Rescue)
