Philadelphia Fire Commissioner Warns Of 'Silent Killer' Carbon Monoxide

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) - Philadelphia's Fire Commissioner is renewing his call to residents to make an important purchase for their homes this year.

Fire Commissioner Lloyd Ayers said that the law in Philadelphia, since 2009, has been for all single-family and multi-family homes to have a carbon monoxide detector.

Ayers acknowledges a lot of people may not know about the law but he said detectors are a valuable tool in picking up the deadly gas. "It's invisible, it's odorless and all burning products produce carbon monoxide gas, such as heaters, fireplaces, exhaust from vehicles." said Ayers.

He adds the fact that carbon monoxide can be a silent killer, "If you breathe carbon monoxide gas it can cause illness and it can lead to death if the person is not removed from that area. So, you have to get them out into fresh air. Some of the symptoms are headaches, nausea and drowsiness," said Ayers.

Ayers wants to remind citizens that if you do not have a carbon monoxide detector they are available at local home improvement and hardware stores. He thinks the investment you make today could save a life, maybe even yours, tomorrow.

Reported by: Mark Abrams, KYW Newsradio