Middletown Responds To 30 Carbon Monoxide Calls Due To Generators

Carly Baldwin
Updated ·3 min read

MIDDLETOWN, NJ — While Middletown has yet to respond to any calls of someone actually poisoned by carbon monoxide — as happened to a woman and her nine-year-old granddaughter Tuesday night in South Brunswick (they had to be hospitalized) — the Middletown fire department has so far responded to 30 carbon monoxide incidents in the aftermath of Tuesday's tropical storm.

This was reported by Gov. Phil Murphy at his daily press briefing Wednesday; the governor said he was told that by Middletown Mayor Tony Perry (Murphy lives in Middletown).

"It was a lot of carbon monoxide detectors going off because the house is filled with CO because the generator is right outside the door, or a window is open," said Dennis Fowler, a Middletown volunteer firefighter, sounding clearly exasperated.

EMS and Lincroft First Aid had to check "a lot" of people Tuesday night, said Fowler, adding that he personally examined a five-year-old girl to make sure she was healthy enough to return home, which she was.

In that instance —

"The carbon monoxide parts per million were 140 in that home," he said. "Now, that's not killer. But if you fall asleep in that, you are going to feel pretty sick."

Carbon monoxide levels of 350 parts per million are considered deadly. Those were the levels in this South Brunswick mobile home just before 11 p.m. Tuesday. The generator had been placed right outside the back door and an open window was open above it, allowing all the gas to re-enter the home.

The generator had been running for eight hours when the woman, 61, called 911. She was having difficulty breathing and felt very fatigued, said rescuers. She thought she was having a heart attack; in fact, that's what she told the 911 operator when she called.

"You will start to feel disoriented and sick right away. The problem is most people think they are just tired. It will kill you," warned South Brunswick Fire Chief Chris Perez.

The woman and her 9-year-old granddaughter had to be hospitalized Tuesday night; their condition is unknown.

Generators will release carbon monoxide into a home if they are used indoors, or not placed far enough away from a residence. A recommended distance is 10-15 feet from the home. Do not place a generator under an open window, because the fumes will go right back into the home.

Some people will place the generator in their garage or shed, another mistake. It must be fully outdoors.

As of 2 p.m. Wednesday, there were about 14,000 homes in Middletown still without power. It may be a few days before power is restored.

Middletown was the town hardest by the power outages in Monmouth County, followed by Marlboro and Freehold Township.

Tropical storm Isaias power outages:

  • Middletown: 15,331

  • Freehold Township: 10,832

  • Marlboro: 13,130

Middletown Township is opening up a cooling station for residents at the Senior Center (900 Leonardville Road) from 10:00 AM- 8:00 PM. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, residents must call 732-615-2100 before visiting the cooling station. Masks must be worn and social distancing will be in place. Your temperature will be taken at the door.

Read: A Generator's Carbon Monoxide Sickens South Brunswick Woman, Girl (Aug. 5)

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This article originally appeared on the Middletown Patch