City Services 2 Rivers Convention Center 911 Communication Center Agendas-Board of Appeals Meetings Agendas-Planning Commission Animals Arts & Culture Avalon Theatre Building Department Cameras - Traffic Volume Cemetery Services Chief of Police Citizens' Academy City Budget Information City Council City Council Meetings City Council Strategic Plan City Limits Address Guide City Managers Office City Smoking Ordinance City Youth Council Code Enforcement Code - Zoning & Development Community Links Community Policing Comprehensive Plan Convention Facilities Crime Stoppers Development Code Development Services Drinking Water Questions Email Subscription Lists Elections Employment Information Employment at the Police Dept. Engineering Services Fences Fire Safety Information Forestry Services Geographic Information System Golf Facilities Graffiti Grand Valley Vision 2020 Hiking Trails and Maps Infill/Redevelopment Program Internships Investigating Crimes Legal Services Liquor Licensing Maps — GIS Maps — Traffic Municipal and Teen Court Neighborhood Programs Outdoor Storage Parking Parks Calendars Planning Commission Agendas Planning Services Police — 10 Most Wanted Police Dept. Phone Numbers Police Patrol Police — You Can Help Press Releases Property Management Public Records Public Works Projects Purchasing Services Recreation Opportunities Rubbish Sales, Use, and Lodging Tax Sample Development Permits School Resource Program Sewer Services Sign Regulation and Enforcement Storm Drainage Street Light Outage Swimming Pools Temporary Use Permits Traffic Update Transportation Brochures Transportation Engineering Transp. Eng. Design Standards Trash Services Utility Billing Services Victim Advocacy Program Volunteer Boards and Commissions Volunteers Volunteering at the Police Dept. Wastewater Quality Report Wastewater Regulations Wastewater Virtual Tour Water Quality Report Water Quality Complaint Calls Water Delivery Services Water Quality Services Water Regulations Weeds Zoning Districts Zoning Violations

City Departments Administration – City Attorney – City Council – City Clerk – City Manager – Human Resources – Information Systems    GIS – Financial Operations    Budget and Accounting    Customer Service    Fleet    Purchasing – Public Information Fire Department – Emergency Response – Fire Department News – Fire Divisions – Fire Employment – Fire Safety Information – Requests For Fire Services Parks and Recreation – Administration – Aquatics – Avalon Theatre – Calendar of Events – Cemetery – Convention Center – Cultural Arts – Forestry and Horticulture – Golf – Parks, Trails, and Facilities – Recreation Police Department – 10 Most Wanted – Keeping It Simple – Recruiting & Training – Resources & Information Public Works & Planning – Construction Services – Engineering – Neighborhood Services    Code Enforcement    Neighborhood Programs – Planning    Community Planning    Development Services – Real Estate – Riverside Parkway    29 Road and I70B – Transportation Engineering Utility and Street Systems – Environmental Laboratories – Facilities – Solid Waste/Recycling – Streets – Stormwater – Wastewater Services – Water Services Visitor and Convention Bureau

Carbon Monoxide

Carbon monoxide (CO) is an odorless, colorless, deadly gas. It can kill you before you know it because you can't see it, taste it or smell it. At lower levels of exposure, it can cause health problems. Some people may be more vulnerable to CO poisoning such as fetuses, infants, children, senior citizens and those with heart or lung problems. When CO is breathed in by an individual, it accumulates in the blood and forms a toxic compound known as carboxyhemoglobin (COHb). Hemoglobin carries oxygen in the bloodstream to cells and tissues. Carbon monoxide attaches itself to hemoglobin and displaces the oxygen that the body organs need.

Carboxyhemoglobin can cause headaches, fatigue, nausea, dizzy spells, confusion and irritability. Later stages of CO poisoning can cause vomiting, loss of consciousness and eventually brain damage or death.

Carbon monoxide is a by-product of combustion of fossil fuels. Fumes from automobiles contain high levels of CO. Appliances such as furnaces, space heaters, clothes dryers, ranges, ovens, water heaters, charcoal grills, fireplaces and wood burning stoves produce CO. Carbon monoxide usually is vented to the outside if appliances function correctly and the home is vented properly. Problems occur when furnace heat exchanger crack or vents and chimneys become blocked. Insulation sometimes can trap CO in the home.

The Grand Junction Fire Department recommend installing at least one carbon monoxide detector with an audible alarm near the bedrooms. If a home has more than one story, a detector should be placed on each story. Be sure the detector has a testing laboratory label.

PLACEMENT OF CARBON MONOXIDE DETECTORS IMPORTANT

Proper placement of a carbon monoxide detector is important. If you are installing only one carbon monoxide detector, the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) recommends it be located near the sleeping area, where it can wake you if you are asleep. Additional detectors on every level and in every bedroom of a home provides extra protection.

Homeowners should remember not to install carbon monoxide detectors directly above or beside fuel-burning appliances, as appliances may emit a small amount of carbon monoxide upon start-up. A detector should not be placed within fifteen feet of heating or cooking appliances or in or near very humid areas such as bathrooms.

When considering where to place a carbon monoxide detector, keep in mind that although carbon monoxide is roughly the same weight as air (carbon monoxide's specific gravity is 0.9657, as stated by the EPA; the National Resource Council lists the specific gravity of air as one), it may be contained in warm air coming from combustion appliances such as home heating equipment. If this is the case, carbon monoxide will rise with the warmer air.

Some Problem Sources of CO in the Home: