It sounds like the plot of a sci-fi or horror film: An undetectable gas slowly fills a home, causing illness or even death when it reaches certain levels. The only way to know it’s there is when a device beeps, alerting you that there’s trouble in the air.
But what if your pets are home alone, breathing in the gas for hours, with possibly deadly results?
This isn’t a story of fiction. The gas is carbon monoxide, and the beeping went off recently in the home of an ADT employee, who is thankful to still have his loving dogs by his side.
Dave Scott, ADT’s Chief People and Administration Officer, was having a typical morning at work, until his phone rang. On the line was ADT monitoring agent Khalim Jones, letting Scott know that seconds ago, a carbon monoxide detector was triggered at his home.
Scott knew his family wasn’t home, but his beloved dogs, Batman and Florence, were. Within three minutes of the alarm detecting carbon monoxide, ADT contacted the fire department, and first responders were on their way. They arrived at Scott’s home 15 minutes later, just as he got there, and the dogs were led to safety.
Scott had his professionally monitored ADT security system installed just a few weeks prior to the carbon monoxide scare, after he and his family moved into a new home. The installation technician, Kheybert Guedez, makes a point of talking to his customers during installations to ensure they have monitored carbon monoxide detectors.
Guedez says he emphasizes the importance of the devices and their proper placement near bedrooms since the gas can be inhaled as people sleep. He also stresses the need for ADT’s 24/7 monitoring.
“Having an ADT life safety device [and] monitoring is the key. Had the CO detector gone off without anyone knowing, the Scott family pets could have gotten sick or worse,” Guedez said.
November is Carbon Monoxide Awareness Month. It’s an important time of year to build awareness, as this potentially deadly gas comes from the burning of fuels like wood, charcoal, gasoline and natural gas. As the weather turns colder in much of the U.S., more people use these energy sources to stay warm.
Carbon monoxide gas can also come from faulty appliances, which was the case at Scott’s home. Fire officials found the source of the carbon monoxide coming from an outdoor pool heater, with the gas traveling through the home’s soffits in the roof and filling the house.
“My family is so thankful for Kheybert’s expertise, the quick response from ADT and our fire department to help keep every member of our family safe,” Scott said.
At ADT, we believe all of our employees are LifeSavers. In this event, we recognize Kheybert Guedez as a LifeSaver for his work installing monitored life safety devices and educating customers and Khalim Jones for his work monitoring systems and alerting customers to health safety threats. If you are interested in ADT’s products and services, including our carbon monoxide detectors, click here.