At 9:30 am Friday, December 23, Newtown Police, emergency dispatchers, volunteer firefighters, and Highway Department crews were still scrambling, addressing calls for trees and wires down and posting dozens of full or partial road closures.

With heavy wind gusts and rain overnight, Eversource was showing more than 2,800 (+24%) of local customers without electricity.

Sandy Hook Volunteer Fire & Rescue Chief Anthony Capozziello, who is also General Supervisor at the Newtown Highway Department, cautioned residents to stay clear of any downed wires, including driving over them — and to not attempt to access roadways that are clearly closed or blocked by downed trees or wires.

Anticipating many in town and across the state are utilizing portable generators and alternate fuel burning equipment, the state Department of Health has issued a critical reminder to help prevent related injuries or deaths.

According to the DPH, every winter in Connecticut, hundreds of residents are taken to the emergency department and some are hospitalized and even die due to carbon monoxide poisoning resulting from malfunctioning furnaces, improperly placed portable generators, and indoor use of charcoal grills.

“The tragic reality is that most of these carbon monoxide poisonings and deaths are completely preventable,” said DPH Commissioner Manisha Juthani, MD. “It is very important to learn how carbon monoxide gas can harm you and what you can do to keep your loved ones safe from carbon monoxide poisoning this winter, especially if you lose power during a winter storm.”

Carbon monoxide is an invisible odorless gas that can be fatal. It forms when fuels like gasoline, natural gas, propane, wood, charcoal, and kerosene do not burn completely. Breathing carbon monoxide can deprive the body of oxygen, and may lead to illness, unconsciousness and death.

Symptoms of Carbon Monoxide Poisoning

*Headache, fatigue, dizziness, confusion, nausea or vomiting, and loss of consciousness.

*If several members of a household experience these symptoms while inside a residence but feel better when they are away from the home, there may be a carbon monoxide problem.

What Should I Do If I Have Symptoms?

*Get out of the house immediately and seek medical help if you or a family member or guest has unexplained/sudden onset of symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning.

*Call 911 from a cell phone or neighbor’s home and the Connecticut Poison Control Center at 800-222-1222

How Do I Know?

Carbon monoxide alarms are the only way to know if the deadly gas is present in your home.

DPH recommends that all residents with fuel burning appliances or indoor equipment install carbon monoxide alarms near all sleeping areas in their home to alert them of the presence of carbon monoxide.

Install a carbon monoxide alarm on each floor of a home and outside of each bedroom. Install new batteries as per manufacturer’s instructions and replace alarms every five years, as the sensors degrade.

How can I stay safe?

*Never use portable generators, charcoal or gas grills, gas or propane powered pressure washers, saws or other fuel powered equipment inside your home, garage, carport, basement or other enclosed spaces. Opening windows and doors and operating fans is not enough to prevent buildup of carbon monoxide in a home.

*Install a carbon monoxide alarm on each floor of your home & outside of each bedroom.

*Make sure the exhaust pipe on your standby generator is pointing away from the house.

*Place portable generators at least 20 feet from the house.

*Make sure gas dryer vents and automobile tail pipes are not plugged up with snow.

Have your heating systems, chimney flues, gas appliances, wood stoves, and generators checked every year, and cleaned and serviced as needed by qualified heating/appliance contractors

For more information on CO poisoning, contact the Connecticut Poison Control Center: poisoncontrol.uchc.edu or 800-222-1222.

For more info, contact your local health department (in Newtown, call 203-270-4291) or call the Connecticut Department of Public Health at 860-509-7740.