TOMS RIVER – Residents of Toms River are reminded to have working carbon monoxide alarms at home to prevent accidental gas poisonings from heaters turned on during the winter. Fire department responses to non-fire CO incidents have increased over the past decade.

“According to the National Fire Protection Association, between 2006 and 2010 there was an average of 72,000 fire department responses due to carbon monoxide per year. The vast majority, 94 percent, occur in homes,” said Bob Yaiser, Public Education officer at Toms River Bureau of Fire Prevention.

CO alarms should be installed and maintained in a central location outside each separate sleeping area, on every level of a home. For the best protection, interconnect all CO alarms throughout the home so when one sounds, they all sound.

Carbon monoxide is an odorless gas created when fuels burn incompletely. Heating and cooking equipment can be sources of CO. For more information about CO alarms, call the bureau at (732) 240-5153 or visit www.trfireprevention.com.

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