Spreading Awareness About Carbon Monoxide Safety

Tuesday, 6 August 2019 08:47

After releasing three new fire service training videos on carbon monoxide safety, the Hawkins-Gignac Foundation is spreading awareness in the community. They say it's important to always have a battery operated C-O alarm in your home.

WOODSTOCK - The Hawkins-Gignac Foundation is letting the community know about the importance of carbon monoxide safety.

They recently released three new fire service CO training videos called End The Silence.

Executive Director John Gignac says it's important to have a battery operated CO alarm with you.

"It's a pretty simple solution, as far as I'm concerned. You get a working CAS approved CO alarm and put it in your home, cottage or whenever you may be and don't let your guard down."

Gignac is a former firefighter and his foundation is spreading awareness on carbon monoxide alarms across the community.

They've recently been helping with two carbon monoxide incidents in Manitoba and Saskatchewan. A suspected carbon monoxide leak at a hotel in Winnipeg sent nearly 50 people to hospital, with 15 of them suffering from serious injuries. Meanwhile, two children passed away at their cottage in Saskatoon after suspected carbon monoxide poisoning.

He says the foundation began after a tragedy involving his niece.

"It's pretty close to home here and this is Woodstock and that's where my niece lived. And it was my niece, OPP officer Laurie Hawkins, (her husband) Richard and both of their children Cassandra and Jordan passed away ten years ago from a carbon monoxide incident in their home and that's why I've jumped on board because ten years ago we didn't know much about carbon monoxide. So I felt there was a need to get out there and tell people so they wouldn't have to suffer the same tragedy that my family did."

He adds if families don't have one put in their homes, they should get a battery operated CO alarm so they're protected and can prevent another tragedy from happening.

If you want to learn more about CO alarms and training, you can learn more information here.