Maple Grove First Responders Give Carbon Monoxide Warning

Maple Grove Police Officers attempted to rescue a man from carbon monoxide poisoning last August and say the carbon monoxide levels were so high they put their own lives at risk. The men received a medal of valor for their efforts and encourage people to make sure you have a working carbon monoxide detector.

“Carbon monoxide is odorless, colorless, and tasteless,” explained Chief Tim Bush from the Maple Grove Fire Department. “It isn’t irritating, so you don’t even know it’s there. It’s one of the things that we have called the silent killer because it’s just so sneaky.”

The most common cause of carbon monoxide poisoning comes from appliances such as water heaters, boilers or un-vented space heaters.

“Our recommendation is that you should have a carbon monoxide alarm in every level of your home,” said Chief Bush.

Carbon monoxide detectors last for 7 years and cost anywhere from $30-$40.

Carbon Monoxide Levels Dangerously High

This June, the Maple Grove City Council recognized Sergeant Matt Brost and Officer Jake Uhl with the Medal of Commendation; and Detective Brad Holzerland and Officer (retired) Ken Kirkevold with the Medal of Valor for their life-saving efforts on August 10, 2018. 

That day, the officers responded to a report of a man unconscious. Upon approaching the home, officers learned the man had been overcome by gasoline exhaust and was in full arrest. The officers moved the victim and started CPR, but one officer became unconscious. The other officer then became unconscious, but called to dispatch “officer down” before collapsing.

Other officers arrived, vented the home and gave medical treatment. The victim could not be revived, but the officers survived.

The report says that when Fire Chief Tim Bush arrived, he carried a gas monitor to the front of the home and it went into alarm. The monitor indicated levels were so high that the monitor could no longer display an actual Carbon Monoxide level. This type of situation poses an immediate danger and risk of permanent injury.

Maple Grove