Fire officials are warning that not having a carbon monoxide (CO) detector in your home can hit more than just your wallet, it can cost you a family member.
Retired fire captain John Gignac was at Fire Station #12 in North Harwich on Tuesday to donate dozens of CO alarms. He said he is still haunted by the loss of his niece, OPP Constable Laurie Hawkins, and her family to CO poisoning. Hawkins, her husband, and their two children were killed by carbon monoxide in their Woodstock home in 2008. Gignac said CO gas is a "silent killer" that is impossible to see, smell, or taste. He added fuel-burning appliances should be well maintained and inspected each year by qualified professionals. Gignac said CO alarms save lives and they're free to homes in need.
"It's very tragic. I know other people who have gone through tragedies but this one was very difficult to handle because it was something that could have been prevented, especially with me being in the fire service. I should have let her know and that haunts me to this day. It's 12 years ago but it still hurts," Gignac said. "If you can't afford one, the fire department will be glad to help you. And the Hawkins-Gignac Foundation, in the last 12 years we've donated over 15,000 alarms in Ontario. So, we're getting them to the people that need them for sure."
Chatham-Kent Fire Chief Chris Case said his fire crews have checked thousands of homes for CO alarms over the past three years to prevent tragedy and found quite a few with outdated alarms.
"We've seen tragedies in the past and we've seen tragedies in the past couple of weeks with a fire death and we don't want to see anybody injured or killed," said Chief Case.
It's the law to have at least one working CO alarm in a home and they must be replaced every seven to 10 years. This week is carbon monoxide awareness week and Gignac is billed as Canada's top CO safety expert. He is now the executive director of the Hawkins-Gignac Foundation for CO Education.
