On Friday, November 3, 2023, at approximately 11:12 p.m., firefighters from Bay District, Second District and NAS Patuxent River responded to the 21000 block of Gambier Place in Lexington Park.
Crews arrived on the scene to find all four occupants, two adults and two children, had evacuated the home and were suffering from CO poisoning symptoms.
Firefighters entered the residence and found CO levels of 500 PPM along with a generator which was running in the basement.
Preliminarily, the residence was found to have no power with one or more gas generators in the basement powering appliances in the residence.
Maryland State Police Helicopters Trooper 6 and Trooper 7 were requested to land nearby for 2 pediatric patients and one adult.
Trooper 7 landed nearby and transported two pediatric patients for precautionary reasons. The adult patient denied transport and self-transported themselves to the trauma center, Trooper 6 was canceled and returned to service.
Fire and rescue personnel operated on the scene for approximately 45 minutes.
Our First Responders urge citizens to take these steps to protect yourself and your household from CO poisoning. Using alternative sources of power, such as a generator, can cause carbon monoxide (CO) to build up in a home and poison the people and animals inside. Never use a generator inside an enclosed space, inside your home, basement or an attached garage, as carbon monoxide fumes can build up. Read more here.
Carbon monoxide (CO) is known as the “silent killer” because it is colorless, odorless, and tasteless. It is impossible to detect without monitoring equipment. A working CO alarm is the most effective tool residents can use to detect the presence of carbon monoxide.
Health effects and symptoms from Carbon Monoxide (CO) are based on the different levels and length of exposure as well as the patients age and health condition. The concentration of CO is measured in parts per million (ppm). The exposure of CO in the range from 1 to 70 ppm are uncertain but most people will not experience any noticeable symptoms. As the level of CO rises, and remains above 70 ppm, symptoms become more noticeable and patients may have headaches, fatigue, and nausea. As CO levels increase even more to above 150 to 200 ppm, the concentration can become deadly if its persistent and patients will have disorientation, unconsciousness, or even death.
