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Community Corner

Portable Generators Can Pose a Carbon Monoxide Risk

The CT Department of Public Health releases safety tips for use in power outages.

In the wake of Tuesday's , the Connecticut Department of Public Health issued a warning about the danger of carbon monoxide poisoning from gasoline-powered generators and other alternate power sources. In the past, generator-related carbon monoxide deaths have followed storms that knocked out power.

“Carbon monoxide poisoning is a very real danger when using gasoline-powered generators," Department of Public Health Commissioner Dr. J. Robert Galvin said in a statement. "It’s very important that residents take precautions and properly use gasoline-powered generators and other combustion devices, like stoves and fireplaces, to prevent carbon monoxide poisoning.”

Portable generators should not be used in the home. Do not run in garages, basements or porches. Instead, keep portable generators outside, away from windows, doors and air vents, so carbon monoxide doesn’t seep inside the home.

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According to the Department of Public Health, opening a window or having fans on won’t prevent carbon monoxide from building up in a home. Having a working carbon monoxide detector on each floor can help detect the odorless poison.

Signs of carbon monoxide poisoning include headache, fatigue, dizziness, nausea, vomiting and loss of consciousness. If you or other family members experience these symptoms, get out of house and seek immediate help or contact 911.

Find out what's happening in Stamfordwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Between 1996-2006, 334 people died nationally from generator-related carbon monoxide poisonings, many after major storms knocked out power, according to the Department of Public Health.

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