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Westbrook family says carbon monoxide detectors 'saved our lives'

The Morse family woke early Sunday morning to the beeping of their detector warning them of high CO levels.

A Westbrook family believes their carbon monoxide detector saved their lives Sunday night when it alerted them to high levels of the poisonous gas near their furnace.

David Morse and his wife, Kaitlyn, woke up around 12:45 a.m. Sunday to the beeping of their carbon monoxide alarm.

"Sure enough it was saying, carbon monoxide, carbon monoxide, carbon monoxide,” said Kaitlyn.

They took their two young children outside and called the Westbrook Fire Department. Everyone was safe, but firefighters found higher than normal levels of CO in their home.

"I thought we were overkill with all the alarms and detectors in our house, but we weren't. It was real,” said Morse. “My kids might have been real sick or we all could be dead."

Humans cannot see, taste, or smell carbon monoxide. High levels can cause flu-like symptoms, including nausea and dizziness, and loss of consciousness or death.

The Maine CDC reports that 13 people have been poisoned since November 1: a higher than normal number compared to other winter months.

The Maine CDC reports that 68 percent of CO poisonings happen between November and March.

"The dangers are that, ultimately, it can kill you,” said Capt. Robb Couture of the South Portland Fire Department. “For us, it's the exact same thing. We have no way to tell it's there without a gas meter."

The Maine CDC issued a number of tips Tuesday about preventing carbon monoxide in homes.

"Any fossil-burning fuel that's being combusted can produce carbon monoxide. That can be anything from a propane heater to a car engine to a house furnace to a generator,” said Couture.

Couture said detectors must have batteries, even if they are hard-wired. In the case of a power outage, the batteries are critical, especially to monitor alternative heat sources, such as generators.

The Maine CDC reports that a generator can produce the same amount of CO as 100 idling cars.

“It’s probably the cheapest life insurance you can buy,” said Couture.

In June, the State Fire Marshal’s office updated requirements for carbon monoxide detectors in single-family and multi-family buildings or rentals.

Morse credits her husband’s background in housing for keeping them aware of the dangers. She hopes to make sure 25 families that do not have these detectors get them: she was even willing to pay out of pocket.

 “To think that we could have lost our family -- our kids could be sick or they could have died,” said Morse. “It was really scary.”

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