Your bags are packed, everyone is ready for a relaxing vacation away from home. But are you planning to check your getaway spot for smoke and carbon monoxide (CO) detectors? Doing that could prove wise.
CO is a colorless odorless gas that replaces oxygen in your blood when you breathe it in. It can make you short of breath or cause headaches, dizziness, nausea, weakness—even death.
Each year, at least 430 people die in the U.S. from accidental CO poisoning, with about 50,000 people going to an emergency room. And a 2019 study tallied over 100 CO poisoning incidents in U.S. hotels, motels and resorts—mostly caused by natural gas-fueled appliances.
Before or when you arrive at your vacation spot, the National Fire Protection Association recommends you check for:
- Working CO and smoke alarms in every sleeping room and outside sleeping areas, on every level of the home.
- Portable fire extinguishers in easy reach.
If you own or rent an RV, make sure it has working alarms.
For less than $50, a small portable CO detector might be worth packing. Plug it in at your destination and help protect your family.
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