Program run by Somerset Fire Department saves elderly woman’s life

A program put on by the Somerset Fire Department saved a woman’s life late last week.

According to the Somerset Fire Department, on Friday night, crews were dispatched to a home in the area of Lafayette Street for smoke/carbon monoxide alarms sounding.

They were met by an elderly resident who said she went to bed and was awoken by the alarms.

Crews entered the residence with their explosive gas meter (this meter detects levels of oxygen, explosive gas, carbon monoxide, hydrogen cyanide and hydrogen sulfide). They immediately got readings of carbon monoxide and lowered levels of oxygen in the home. Crews backed out and donned their self-contained breathing apparatus’. Readings of carbon monoxide in the home were around 600 parts per million (it should be 0, acceptable levels are below 9 parts per million in a home).

After a thorough investigation, it was found that the resident mistakenly left her car running in a closed garage, likely for at least 4 hours. Liberty utilities was called to the scene as a precaution. Extra firefighters were called into the station due to extensive time on scene, and the home was vented with a battery powered ppv fan until there were 0 parts per million of carbon monoxide in the home.

The resident was transported by Somerset rescue to a local hospital because of slight confusion and having detectable levels of carbon monoxide in her system.

The Somerset Fire Department stated that if the resident had not been alerted by the properly working smoke/carbon monoxide alarms they would have passed away within hours (likely an hour).

Somerset FD has a program called “Somerset Cares” where personnel go out to Somerset homes to do safety assessments and install smoke/carbon monoxide alarms.

“We recently went to this home for the “Somerset Cares” program and installed the smoke/carbon monoxide alarms that saved the residents life! A testament to the success in one of the many programs we offer and the importance of properly working smoke and carbon monoxide alarms!”

The Somerset Fire Department asks to share the story to let the public know that detectors save lives.