Multiple carbon monoxide detectors force evacuation of residential building

Multiple carbon monoxide  detectors force evacuation of  residential building in southeast  Calgary, home and school  in northeast Calgary. ...


Calgary  firefighters responded to multiple carbon monoxide alarms across the  city on Thursday.
At 11:30 a.m.,  firefighters were called to a 48-unit  apartment complex at 4975 130 Ave. S.E. by a number of residents whose alarms  were going off.
Firefighters found CO2 levels  of 200 parts per million (ppm) in the lobby and  up to 520 ppm in the  building's hallways and common  areas.
Firefighters activated the fire  alarm and everyone in the building was evacuated to a nearby building.  TAK went to the scene to investigate.  An air duct was  found to be blocked  by leaves and other debris that had  frozen, causing  a buildup of CO.
Earlier in the day,  shortly after midnight, a northeast
Calgary  family's carbon monoxide alarm went off,  prompting them to call 911. The family of four,  along with three pets,  were evacuated while ATCO  crews investigated. No one was injured and ATCO was able to resolve the  matter. Shortly before 9 a.m., crews were dispatched to a school on Maryvale Road  Northeast. ATCO  personnel investigated and the school was evacuated as a precaution. The source of the problem was the boiler, where the CO reading  rose to 720 ppm. Investigators determined that the boiler  needed repair, but were able to  ensure the  school's air  quality.
At 10:35 a.m.,  firefighters responded to a CO alarm at a business in the 4300 block of  54th Avenue  SE for reports of a CO buildup after an employee at a nearby business reported feeling  ill and  smelling gas. The fact that a  nearby business was a  welder made the situation worse.


The source of the problem was  discovered: a gas stove that  was not properly vented. The CO  build-up was recorded at 60 ppm. The  company was advised to have  the vent installed by a certified  professional.
Shortly before 11 a.m.,  firefighters responded  to reports of  a CO  build-up at  an apartment building on Meredith  Street N.E. The source of the  build-up was a rooftop  heating, ventilation, and air conditioning system. ATCO  personnel shut  down the system and ventilated the building. The HVAC unit was shut  down until building management  could repair it. No one was  injured.
Carbon monoxide is a  toxic gas that has no  color, odor, or taste. The fire department  recommends that everyone have  a CO  detector in their  home, which can  alert you if there is  a buildup of carbon  monoxide. The most common source of CO buildup is  your furnace, but it can also come from appliances that run on natural gas or  propane.
Symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning include flu-like  symptoms, such as  headache, nausea, dizziness, fatigue,  confusion, and loss of consciousness. Other things to  look out for  include stale or stuffy air, moisture on your windows and walls, soot buildup around appliances and  vents, or a pilot light that keeps going out.