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Crime & Safety

Fire Department Was Busy During and After Hurricane Irene

Two people suffer carbon monoxide poisoning after leaving their generator on inside a closed garage.

Firefighters responded to over 30 calls for carbon monoxide poisoning, downed trees and flooded basements during and after Hurricane Irene. 

Town Manager Barbara Gilbert explained how two people had to be helped after suffering from the early stages of carbon monoxide poisoning at the emergency Town Council meeting Monday evening.

Fire Marshal Richard Renstrom was called to a house on Tumble Brook Road where a generator was running inside a closed garage with an adult and a child inside the home. When Renstrom arrived, he noticed that both people were suffering from the beginning stages of carbon monoxide poisoning. He opened the garage door to air out the fumes. 

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"Generators in garages are just as dangerous as generators in homes because of the carbon monoxide leaking in," Gilbert said. "We need to educate people on this. This is where the fatalities are going to occur. If you lose a freezer full of food, it's better than losing your life or suffering brain damage."

Gilbert called the emergency meeting to discuss the impact of Hurricane Irene on the town. The police chief, highway supervisor, fire chief and parks and recreation director were asked to submit reports to the town manager by 3 p.m.

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The police chief and parks and recreation director submitted their reports by 3 p.m., however the fire chief and highway supervisor did not, so they were asked to appear at the meeting. The parks and recreation and police department reports were read at the meeting. 

Fire Chief Michael Garrahy told the Town Council that the fire department received “roughly” 32 calls from 6 p.m. Saturday to 4 p.m. Monday. The service calls were for carbon monoxide issues, alarm malfunctions and seven hazardous condition evaluations for trees.

Glenbrook had to be evacuated because of carbon monoxide problems, Garrahy stated.

No one was seriously injured during the storm, Garrahy said.

In a phone interview, Deputy Police Chief William Keehner encouraged people to pile up their debris at the curb line of their property to be picked up. It should not be "huge pile” of debris, Keehner added. Brush pickup will begin next Tuesday.

Keehner had high praise for the highway department who he said is doing an excellent job cleaning up the storm debris.

Garrahy told the council members that the Fire Department didn't pump out any basements. If the department pumped out the basement, the water would have just come back, Garrahy added.

What firefighters did was make sure the residents were safe. They shut off the circuit breaker if the electrical service was inundated with water or made sure if they had gas that the service was turned off, he said.

Once the homeowner's power came back on, the pumps were working fine so there was no need to go back there.

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