The FDNY rescued a woman who was overcome by carbon monoxide in a potential deathtrap of a home in St. Albans on Christmas morning.
Firefighters and EMS personnel responded to a 911 call for an unconscious individual at 114-33 194th St. just before 9:30 a.m. on Wednesday, Dec. 25.
When they entered the home, their carbon monoxide (CO) meters alerted them to dangerous and deadly levels of carbon dioxide, a colorless, tasteless, and toxic gas nicknamed the “silent killer.” There were seven occupants in the home at the time of the emergency. First responders raced up an exterior staircase of the home and found the unidentified and unconscious on the third floor.
“As soon as the unit got on the third floor, the officer’s CO detectors were wailing,” FDNY Deputy Chief George Healy said. “They started treating an unconscious patient in the home. Subsequently, there were several people removed, four of which were treated by EMS.”
The unconscious woman was rushed by EMS to Nassau County Medical Center, where she was listed in critical condition and treated in a hyperbaric chamber. Three other victims were removed to area hospitals with minor injuries.
Back at the scene, Healy described the hazardous and potentially deadly condition at the house.
“It appears that the plumbing and the electric are not code compliant,” Healy said. “The main culprit was an on-demand water heater. One unit’s piping didn’t exit to the exterior [of the house]. It terminated inside the house, so anytime there was a call for heat, that unit was pumping CO into the house.”
He added that he saw smoke detectors in the house but no CO detectors. The FDNY called inspectors from the city’s Department of Buildings to the scene to investigate reports of the faulty boiler and high carbon monoxide levels in the home. They confirmed that the venting system for the gas-fired boiler and hot water heater in the cellar of the building was disconnected, preventing CO from properly venting outside of the house.
DOB issued a cease-use order for two boilers and two hot water heaters in the building. National Grid also turned off gas service to the house in the interest of public safety. All residents impacted by the CO incident were offered emergency relocation assistance by the American Red Cross of Greater New York.
DOB inspectors from the Emergency Response team issued two violations to the property owner after finding that the two-family home had been illegally converted into a seven-family home without DOB approvals. The second violation was issued for working without a permit after inspectors found that work to construct full-height wall partitions, electrical wiring, and plumbing had all been performed at the building without DOB permits.
The agency issued a partial vacate order at the building, impacting the cellar and the attic, where several of the illegal apartments had been created. The occupants had inadequate egress, lights, and ventilation.
The FDNY is reminding the public that any appliance or tool that is not correctly vented or maintained can be a source of deadly carbon monoxide. Experts urge property owners to have at least one carbon monoxide alarm on each floor and to always use a licensed plumber when work is needed on a home.
