SACRAMENTO – Starting July 1, 2011, new legislation will go into effect requiring homeowners to install carbon monoxide detectors in every California home, a move Cal Fire officials say will save lives.

“Carbon monoxide is a silent killer, each year claiming the lives of an average of 480 people,” said acting State Fire Marshal Tonya Hoover. “And sending more than 20,000 people to emergency rooms across the nation.”

Carbon monoxide, or CO, is a colorless, odorless gas that is produced from heaters, fireplaces, furnaces and many types of appliances and cooking devices.

The best way for homeowners to stay protected from carbon monoxide is to have a carbon monoxide detector installed on every floor and outside each sleeping area, Cal Fire said.

A recent study found that nearly nine in 10 California households did not have a carbon monoxide detector.

“Having a carbon monoxide detector is a small investment that really can help save your life and the lives of your family,” said Chief Hoover.

To help educate homeowners about the new law and to encourage them to install a carbon monoxide detector, Cal Fire/Office of the State Fire Marshal is teaming up with fire departments across the state, the Home Safety Council, First Alert and Lowe’s to host “CO Saturday” on June 4.

“CO Saturday” will be a special day-long safety celebration to teach families how to prevent carbon monoxide poisoning.

Though previous laws only required newly-constructed homes to have carbon monoxide alarms, the state’s new Carbon Monoxide Poisoning Prevention Act (Senate Bill 183) requires owners of all existing single-family homes with an attached garage or a fossil fuel source to install carbon monoxide alarm devices within the home by July 1, 2011.

Owners of multifamily leased or rental dwellings, such as apartment buildings, have until Jan. 1, 2013,

to comply with the law.

For more information on how to prevent carbon monoxide poisoning visit the Cal Fire Web site at www.fire.ca.gov.

For more information on “CO Saturday,” please visit www.homesafetycouncil.org.

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