Get immediate medical attention. Be on the lookout for any symptoms of CO poisoning. Follow the steps above if symptoms appear. Safety Checklist Carbon monoxide detectors, are not substitutes for smoke detectors. Smoke detectors react to fire by products, before CO detectors would alarm.
Smoke detectors give earlier warning of a fire, providing more time to escape.
To guard against smoke and fire, be sure that your home has working smoke detectors on every level and just outside of all sleeping areas. Know the difference between the sound of the smoke detectors and the sound of the carbon monoxide detector. Have a home evacuation plan for any home emergency and practice the plan with all members of the household. At this time, NFPA does not have a standard requiring the installation of household CO detectors. This document is in the NFPA standards cycle and may be published as early as September 1997.