Carbon monoxide detector saves Havre woman

Marcia Miller of Havre admits that when her son, Josh Miller, bought her a carbon monoxide detector as a gift last Christmas, she wasn’t sure what she was going to do with it.

But now she’s sure that the detector saved her life when her furnace malfunctioned.

Josh, a Cut Bank police officer, gave his mother the gift out of concern for the colorless, odorless gas that can cause death without warning.

Josh was at his mother’s Havre home for a few days earlier this month, and noticed that the detector, which she put on a shelf in her living room, read 32. He wasn’t sure what that meant, but he advised that she have it checked out.

Marcia said she hadn’t looked at the detector for several days. All year, it was constant at zero.

Josh insisted, so Marcia eventually called NorthWestern Energy’s Butte-based switchboard and asked about the higher-than usual reading.

Every carbon monoxide detector has different readings, and the operator wasn’t certain what the reading 32 meant. At first the operator didn’t seem too concerned, but said she would check it out, Marcia said.

Josh told his mother she should check it out further. Just then, the woman at the Butte call center called her back. Her research showed that there was cause for concern, and she was going to dispatch a technician from NorthWestern’s Havre office to check things out.

The technician arrived promptly, Marcia said.

He was worried about the readings in Marcia's living room and went downstairs to check out the cellar where the furnace was located.

He rushed back upstairs, said there was an apparent furnace malfunction and the reading was over 100. He advised Marcia to get out of the house as soon as possible.

She promptly followed his advice and stayed at her sister’s home that night and made preparations to buy a new furnace,

“If it weren’t for that detector and NorthWestern Energy people,” I wouldn’t be here,” she said.

She said she would have come home from work, turned up the temperature and retired for the night.

The higher temperature, she said, would have increased the carbon monoxide levels and ensured a disaster.

“You’d be writing a story, ‘Havre woman dies of carbon monoxide poisoning,’” she said.

Marcia usually goes to sleep with her dog, Riley, and she’s convinced he would have died first.

Josh is also convinced that it was a potential disaster.

“I just want to give credit to the woman and the technican at at NorthWestern Energy,” he said.

Carbon monoxide detectors are relatively inexpensive, Josh said, and can be purchased at several places in Havre.

Some of the newer models can detect smoke and fire as well as carbon monoxide, he said.

Life-saving tips

To guard against carbon-monoxide issues, NorthWestern Energy offers the following tips:

• Get annual inspections of gas-burning furnaces and appliances, including water heaters.

• Make sure all vents for furnaces and other appliances, on the roof or side of a structure, are unobstructed. Such vents can become clogged by heavy snow, ice or objects such as bird nests.

• Use portable space heaters properly and follow manufacturers’ instructions.

• If you detect or suspect carbon monoxide in your home, get the victims to fresh air immediately and call 911 from outside the home or building. NorthWestern Energy will inspect the homes of natural gas customers.