Vivint Smart Home Warns of Increased Carbon Monoxide Poisoning During Winter Months
Bennett family saved from CO poisoning after installing a smart home
system just days before
PROVO, Utah–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Vivint
Smart Home, the leading smart home services provider in North
America, warns consumers of the increased risk of carbon monoxide (CO)
poisoning as many prepare to turn their furnaces on for the first time
this winter season. The months of December, January and February have
the highest daily average of CO-related deaths, according
to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
CO is an odorless, colorless gas produced when gasoline, natural gas,
propane, kerosene and other fuels are not completely burned during use.
Natural gas-powered appliances, such as ranges, furnaces and water
heaters, are a common source of CO within the home. Each year, at least
430 Americans die from unintentional CO poisoning not linked to fires
and approximately 50,000 visit the emergency room, according
to the CDC.
Vivint customers Jason and Kim Bennett learned
the dangers of CO all too well when their furnace malfunctioned,
leading to a near-fatal buildup of CO in their Orient, Ohio home. The
Bennett family equipped their home with a Vivint smart home system just
days before the incident.
“We returned home at 10 p.m. and armed our system, but suddenly the
alarm started going off,” said Jason Bennett. “By the time I got
downstairs, somebody was speaking to us from the Vivint console saying,
‘We’re getting high carbon monoxide readings, is everybody OK?’”
After consulting with the Bennett family, Vivint dispatched emergency
services. When the fire department arrived, firefighters almost
immediately detected extremely dangerous levels of CO and ordered the
Bennetts and their three children to evacuate the home.
“If we hadn’t installed Vivint on Thursday night, none of us would have
woken up Monday morning,” said Kim Bennett.
While installing an off-the-shelf CO detector is a positive step toward
protecting lives from CO poisoning, the Bennett’s experience
demonstrates the value of CO detectors that are part of a complete smart
home system with 24/7 professional monitoring. The Vivint monitoring
center receives approximately 5,500 CO alerts from customers each year.
Employees in the monitoring center respond to medical, fire, flood,
carbon monoxide and burglary alerts.
In addition to CO detectors, the CDC also suggests these
tips for preventing CO poisoning in the home.
For more information on a Vivint smart home, visit www.vivint.com.
About Vivint Smart Home
Vivint Smart Home is the leading provider of smart home services in
North America. Vivint delivers an integrated smart home system with
in-home consultation, professional installation and support delivered by
its Smart Home Pros, as well as 24-7 professional monitoring and
customer care. Dedicated to redefining the home experience with
intelligent products and services, Vivint serves more than one million
customers. J.D. Power ranked Vivint Smart Home “Highest in Customer
Satisfaction for Home Security Systems.” For more information, visit www.vivint.com.
Connect with Vivint Smart Home
Contacts
Vivint Smart Home
Aaron Searle, 801-669-0494
pr@vivint.com
