CONCORD — At the request of State Fire Marshal J. William Degnan
and The Carbon Monoxide Work Group, New Hampshire Governor John
Lynch signed a proclamation to declare November as Carbon
Monoxide Awareness month. Marshal Degnan wants to remind
residents about the dangers of carbon monoxide levels in your
homes. “Carbon monoxide (CO) is produced whenever any fuel such
as gas, oil, kerosene, wood, or charcoal is burned. As the
winter months come upon us, our use of fuel for heating
increases thereby, increasing the potential for elevated levels
of carbon monoxide”, says Marshal Degnan. Nationwide, hundreds
of people die accidentally every year from CO poisoning caused
by malfunctioning or improperly used fuel-burning furnaces or
appliances. Unvented space heaters should never be used as a
primary source of heat. Should your family need the extra warmth
and use an unvented space heater, it must be accompanied by the
installation of a carbon monoxide detector. Fire departments
have responded to over 700 New Hamps