CPSC and FEMA Warning of Gasoline-Powered Generators

Press Release # 03-073

Transcript


TEXT: The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) warn winter storm and natural disaster victims: Do not use gasoline powered generators or charcoal grills indoors or in attached garages. You could suffer Carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning. People sometimes bring gas-powered generators inside to produce heat and light after storms knock out power, but CO poisoning deaths have been occurring.

TEXT: Each year CO poisoning from the use of fuel burning appliances kills more than 170 people. Others die from CO produced while burning charcoal inside a home, garage, vehicle or tent. Still more deaths happen when cars are left running in an attached garage.

TEXT: Soundbites:
Hal Stratton
Chairman
U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission
(Spanish soundbites at end of feed)

(View of Hal Stratton as he speaks)

"Carbon monoxide is an odorless and colorless gas. You can't see it, taste it or smell it. Everyone should have a carbon monoxide detector in their home to detect this silent killer. Consumers should never bring their generators or charcoal grills indoors or into an attached garage. If they do, they risk carbon monoxide poisoning. Opening windows and doors also won't solve this problem. And even though you have a carbon monoxide alarm, you should still never bring a generator or charcoal grill indoors or into an attached garage."

TEXT: Soundbites:
Mike Brown
Deputy Director
Federal Emergency Management Agency

(View of Mike Brown as he speaks)

"Often during a natural disaster, like a hurricaine or flood or tornado where people have lost power, they will turn to a power generator, a generator for their source of energy and the times you learn how to use that is not during the disaster but prior to the disaster. If you're going to use a power generator, for either heat or electricity or just an alternate source of power during the disaster, you should not use it indoors, you should make sure its outside, out of the wind in a dry area, protected from the elements and you should know how to utilize it before the disaster occurs."

TEXT: Two men died in Libertytown, Maryland because of Carbon monoxide from a gasoline-powered generator running in the basement. They used the generator to power a household freezer after an ice storm knocked out their electricity. One of the men apparently knew the generator could emit CO because one of the home's side doors was propped open, but it wasn't enough to prevent CO poisoning. Olivia Devilbiss, sister of one of the two victims, was the first person at the house after the two men died.

TEXT: Soundbites:
Olivia Devilbiss
Sister of CO poisoning victim
Richard Helwig

(View of Olivia Devilbiss as she speaks)

"The generator was in the basement. Where the freezers were, and that was his main object, I'm sure, was to maintain his food supply. It was later found that it was under a register which came up in the bedroom. So the gas was coming up the basement stairs as well as in the bedroom. The best thing that can come out of this is that others can be warned about how quickly and easily it happens, and you certainly don't want a generator unless you've got it adequately and correctly hooked up, and you keep it away from the house."

TEXT: Libertytown, MD
Home where the two men died of CO poisoning in December, 2002

(View of the exterior of the house, camera zooms in).
(View of closed garage door, camera zooms back out to view the entire house. View of back basement door, camera pans to view the entire back of the house. View of the exterior of the back of the house from the other side of the house, camera pans to view back main-floor door. Return to view of closed garage door).

 TEXT: Gasoline-Powered Generators
Consumers should use their gasoline-powered generators outside on a dry area, away from airintakes to the home.

(View of person wheeling a generator out of a garage and placing it on the ground. Person returns to garage to get an extension cord to attach to the generator, then closes garage door and turns on the generator. Close-up of generator being turned on. Camera pans from generator to closed garage door with extension cord between the two. Replay of person starting the generator and walking into the house).

TEXT: Carbon Monoxide (CO) Alarms
Every home should have a CO alarm that meets the most current safety standards. Underwriters Laboratories 2034 International Approval Services 0-95. or Canadian Standards Association 6 19-01.

(View of person holding CO detector, turning it on and mounting it on a wall).

TEXT: Charcoal
Bags of charcoal are labeled to warn about the hazard of burning charcoal indoors. The labels say "Warning! Carbon Monoxide Hazard. Burning charcoal inside can kill you. It gives off carbon monoxide, which has no odor. NEVER burn charcoal inside homes, vehicles or tents"

(View of person walking down stairs from deck with a bag of charcoal to a grill on the ground. Person removes cover from grill. Close-up of charcoal bag warning. View of charcoal being poured into grill, cover is replaced. Replay of charcoal being poured into grill. Person carries back of charcoal back up the stairs onto the deck).

TEXT: Spanish Soundbites
Hal Stratton
Presidente
Comisión para la Seguridad de los Productos de Consumode los Estados Unidos

"Para evitar el envenenamiento por monóxido de carbono, los consumidores no deben usar aparatos de combustión dentro de sus hogares o garaje adjunto. Si las personas desean usar un generador, deben ponerlo afuera de su hogar, en un área seca y lejos de las entradas de aire a la casa."

TEXT: For more information, contact the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission Hotline at (800) 638-2772 or visit our website at www.cpsc.gov

End.