Education group spreads awareness of carbon monoxide dangers

An education foundation is sharing information about the dangers of carbon monoxide in the Maritimes this week.

The Hawkins-Gignac Foundation visited the Moncton Fire Department Tuesday as part of Carbon Monoxide Awareness Week. The group is touring multiple departments and donating hundreds of detectors.

“Fifteen years ago, I lost my niece, her husband and both their children to carbon monoxide in their home in Woodstock, Ont.,” said founder John Gignac. “When I retired from the fire service, I started the Hawkins-Gignac Foundation because there was absolutely no information out there about carbon monoxide and I wanted to honour the family.”

Moncton Fire Chief Keith Guptill said the department responds to 75-to-80 carbon monoxide calls each year.

“You can’t see it, you can’t smell it and it’s silent,” Guptill said. “We’ve been on calls where a wife has called in and said, ‘My husband’s in the garage, I see him laying on the floor.’ We went to find that the person is laying there and their machine is still running.

“They didn’t realize that they were going to be overcome by carbon monoxide.”

Guptill said people should exit any building if they suspect the presence of carbon monoxide.

“If you’re at home and your whole family, all of the sudden, starts feeling the same symptoms – drowsiness, dizziness, nausea, even vomiting, any of that – they should exit the home and call 911,” he said.

Gignac recommends people get an approved carbon monoxide alarm.

The group plans to stop in Halifax on Wednesday.

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