CHESWICK, Pa. — Two children were rushed to the hospital early Wednesday morning after a carbon monoxide alarm went off at their Cheswick home.

Channel 4 Action News’ Janelle Hall reported the alarm went off inside a duplex in the 200 block of Allegheny Avenue after one side of the home had a high reading of the colorless, odorless gas.

The family got out quickly, and the mother of the children called 911. The kids were taken to Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh and later released.

Late Wednesday morning, Equitable Gas said it investigated at the scene and found a natural gas leak in a gas line.

The symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning can be confused with flu symptoms or food poisoning. They include dizziness, weakness, nausea, vomiting, chest pain and confusion.

Head over to WTAE’s website to watch a video of the news story.

A simple detection device just might have saved the lives of three Northumberland County residents who instead died of carbon monoxide poisoning.

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Carbon monoxide detectors are widely available, and every homeowner who uses fossil fuel — coal, kerosene, oil, wood or fuel gases — for heating or cooking should use them. But there’s little awareness or conscience about the danger of carbon monoxide poisoning, and as a result, public safety suffers. The federal government offers no public education program, revenue-starved states are little better and local fire departments, which in the Poconos are 100 percent volunteer, struggle for funds and time to promote carbon monoxide detectors.

Every new home should include home carbon monoxide detectors to help protect the occupants from illness and possible death. Homes that are sold should be equipped with them before the buyer takes ownership.

Read the rest of the piece at the Pocono Record.

The Allegheny County Hazardous Materials Team was called on Tuesday to a home in Springdale Borough where five people were sickened by what is believed to be carbon monoxide, emergency dispatchers said.

Firefighters and paramedics responded at 5:45 p.m. to the home on Chestnut Street, dispatchers said.

Five people — two firefighters, two paramedics and a civilian — were taken to the hospital for evaluation or treatment, dispatchers said. Emergency workers were still at the home four hours later.

After Homestead Mayor Betty Esper was sickened by a carbon monoxide leak in her home last year, she decided she wanted to make others aware of the importance of having carbon monoxide detectors.

Ms. Esper, a tenant in her building and the tenant’s friend were taken to the hospital by ambulance after they were sickened in the Nov. 20 incident caused by a stuffed-up furnace chimney.

“I passed out on my porch, but I didn’t know why I passed out,” she said.

Ms. Esper told the Post-Gazette after the incident that she was fortunate to have collapsed outside, where the fresh air may have revived her. Ms. Esper did not have a carbon monoxide detector, though her tenant’s detector went off after they all felt “woozy.”

On Wednesday, state Sen. Jay Costa, D-Forest Hills, presented the Steel Valley Council of Governments with a check for $5,000 to put toward more than 400 detectors to be distributed among the communities the COG serves — Braddock Hills, Dravosburg, Homestead, Munhall, West Elizabeth, West Homestead, West Mifflin, Whitaker and Clairton.

Read the rest of the story at the Post-Gazette’s website: http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/11209/1163279-56.stm#ixzz1U5q8WR5T

Bristol Fire Co. No. 51 has received a $26,125 grant from the Department of Homeland Security.

Chief Herb Slack said the money will be used to buy and install 1,300 battery-powered carbon monoxide alarms for members of the community who are at greatest risk.

Those are the elderly, families with small children and those with heart and respiratory related health issues, the chief said.

Read the rest of the article.

Reports WFMZ-TV:

Two people were rushed to the hospital late Sunday night for treatment of severe carbon monoxide poisoning, fire officials said.

Firefighters got the call shortly after 11:00 to respond to an apartment building in the 800 block of Walnut Avenue in Easton.

They said they found high readings of carbon monoxide upon entering the front door of the building.

Two people on the second floor of the building were rushed to the trauma center at St. Luke’s Hospital in Fountain Hill, Lehigh County.

Fire officials said the high level of CO was caused by a portable generator being used to provide electricity for the first floor apartment.

Officials said the resident of that unit left before firefighters could talk with him.

Check out WFMZ-TV’s website for more details, including a video clip of the story.

Check out WFMZ’s coverage of the event.

Check out FOX 43’s coverage of the event.

You can view and read the story here.