Carbon monoxide is called the silent killer, but most homeowners in Canada aren香蕉视频直播檛 required to install inexpensive life-saving detectors along with smoke alarms, says the Canadian Association of Fire Chiefs.

As of 2010, a national building code made it mandatory for new homes to be fitted with carbon monoxide detectors, but people in older dwellings should also be protected against the odourless and colourless gas that often kills people in their sleep, said Pierre Voisine, a director with the association.

香蕉视频直播淚t香蕉视频直播檚 very difficult for a community to try to enforce something that香蕉视频直播檚 not mandated,香蕉视频直播� Voisine said. 香蕉视频直播淯ntil that happens everywhere it香蕉视频直播檚 very challenging.香蕉视频直播�

Voisine, who is the fire chief in Cornwall, Ont., said the suspected carbon-monoxide poisoning deaths of a family of four recently near Ashcroft, B.C., highlight the need for all homes, not just new ones, to have detectors.

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He said that in 2014, Ontario amended its fire code to require carbon monoxide detectors in new and old homes. The legislation was introduced following the 2008 deaths of a police officer and her family when a chimney in their Woodstock home was blocked.

At least 50 people in Canada die of carbon monoxide poisoning every year but there is no national database, Voisine said, adding the association is working toward collecting Canada-wide statistics to better address their concerns about the preventable deaths.

香蕉视频直播淲e香蕉视频直播檙e trying to work with the federal government to be able to manage that data and keep it up to date and current through Statistics Canada,香蕉视频直播� he said. 香蕉视频直播淚 think we香蕉视频直播檙e a couple of years out for having it for the whole country.香蕉视频直播�

Raynald Marchand, general manager of the Canadian Safety Council, said carbon monoxide is produced any time fossil fuels are burned, such as in furnaces, stoves and fireplaces.

People exposed to fumes can have a headache or feel dizzy or nauseous but anyone who is sleeping is unlikely to wake up, he said.

Marchand said that in December 2014, a carbon monoxide detector in his home started beeping as he was experiencing a mild headache. He and his 17-year-old daughter left the home and later discovered a problem with their gas furnace, which had to be replaced.

People can end up in trouble with carbon monoxide when they use space heaters during winter or barbecues indoors after a power outage or when they fix a gas lawn mower in an enclosed space, such as a garage, Marchand said.

Len Garis, the fire chief in Surrey, B.C., said he believes the gas kills about 150 Canadians every year, based on about 13 deaths annually in his province alone.

The number of fire deaths has gone down significantly because of increased use of smoke detectors and the same could happen if people started installing carbon monoxide detectors, he said.

Some devices can be plugged into a socket while others are battery powered or used in combination with a smoke alarm.

香蕉视频直播淚 would urge distributors and sellers of these devices to bring about some change in their marketing and only provide combination detectors,香蕉视频直播� Garis said. 香蕉视频直播淭hat would be the fastest and I think the best, strongest message.香蕉视频直播�

Briana Koop of Saskatoon is grateful for the carbon monoxide detector that saved her family and her daughter香蕉视频直播檚 friend, who was at their home for a sleepover when an alarm went off at 5 a.m. on a Sunday morning in January.

香蕉视频直播淲e had all gone to bed and all of a sudden it let out a couple of shrill beeps and a voice was saying, 香蕉视频直播楧anger, get out of the home,香蕉视频直播� something like that,香蕉视频直播� she said.

香蕉视频直播淔or sure our whole family would have been gone if that didn香蕉视频直播檛 happen,香蕉视频直播� Koop said. 香蕉视频直播淭he thing that was really most haunting to me was picturing these friends coming to pick up their kid in the morning and finding all five of us in the home.香蕉视频直播�

Koop said that after the family was treated in hospital, her husband, Brian Koop, an electrician, installed detectors in all their family members香蕉视频直播� homes and discovered two he replaced weren香蕉视频直播檛 functioning.

香蕉视频直播淲e had installed one because my husband香蕉视频直播檚 house burned down when he was in high school and we香蕉视频直播檙e very paranoid about fire alarms and detectors.香蕉视频直播�

Camille Bains, The Canadian Press