Children, Staff Hospitalized After Daycare Carbon Monoxide Incident
(ConservativeHub.com) – Many parents are nervous about entrusting their kids’ safety and education to daycare facilities. And child care workers undertake tremendous responsibility for their charges’ physical, emotional and mental safety. Yet, one Pennsylvania facility fell woefully short this week when over two dozen children and workers required hospitalization with carbon monoxide poisoning.
News outlets reported that on Tuesday, October 11, emergency personnel rushed 28 children and four daycare employees to several Allentown area hospitals after an employee from the Happy Smiles Learning Center reported an unconscious child in the building. First responders detected carbon monoxide, a poisonous, odorless gas, at the scene. An investigation revealed a broken heating unit and a blocked vent caused the deadly vapor to fill the air.
All the patients are recovering in stable condition, but city officials suspended the daycare’s license. Allentown’s local government passed a law in February mandating all childcare facilities to have a carbon monoxide detector, but the ordinance doesn’t go into effect until October 27. The business didn’t have sensors installed.
First responders helped avert a potential tragedy. Meanwhile, the CDC offers tips on how people can protect themselves and others from carbon monoxide poisoning. For instance, it warns people to never run a vehicle or other type of gas engine in an enclosed space. Other tips include checking your CO detector twice a year, cleaning out vents, and servicing your heating system regularly. Following these tips might just save a life.
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