Greenport firefighters were called to a home on Route 9, in the area of Church Road early this morning after six family members were treated for Carbon Monoxide poisoning.
Statement from Greenport Fire Department:
1/13/2020 –
A very close call tonight. We were dispatched to a carbon monoxide call with ill effects just after midnight. At least six family members were transported to the hospital earlier by another family member for feeling sick and other symptoms.
The hospital staff determined that CO poisoning could be the cause of their symptoms at which point we were dispatched.
There were readings of over 300ppm in the breezeway and over 500ppm on the first floor but when we went to the basement the meter read +++ which means over 2,000ppm. There was no CO detector in the house that we could find. If they ignored the symptoms and went to bed thinking they would feel better in the morning, the results would have been catastrophic.
The problem turned out to be a poorly assembled power vent system where the vent pipe became disconnected from the furnace.
The takeaway for everyone is to make sure you have working smoke detectors in your house AND working carbon monoxide detectors. Both are required by law but the BIGGEST REASON IS FOR THE SAFETY OF YOU AND YOUR FAMILY. If you don’t have both in your house, now is the time to act and get them installed.