Following a carbon monoxide-related death Sunday, Saint Clair police are urging people to buy a detector or check that theirs is working properly.
"We want to make sure that people are aware that not only smoke detectors, but carbon monoxide monitors are important," Saint Clair Acting Police Chief William M. Dempsey said Tuesday.
Dempsey's warning came after police responded to 354 S. Second St. about 7:49 a.m. Sunday, where they found Charles Gately, 57, dead on his bedroom floor from carbon monoxide poisoning.
Gately's girlfriend, Suzanne Walkusky, 54, was taken to Schuylkill Medical Center-South Jackson Street by Pottsville-Schuylkill Haven EMS, where she was reported to be in fair condition.
In a previous story in The Republican-Herald, Saint Clair police Patrolman Joseph Leskin said that a pipe in Gately's coal burner was completely blocked with about 10 inches of soot and ash and was sending fumes into the house through the stove.
There was no carbon monoxide detector in the house, and there did not appear to be any smoke detectors.
"It is still under investigation," Dempsey said. "We are certain that the death resulted as an effect of the carbon monoxide inside the residence."
Dempsey said people should make sure their detectors are tested and the batteries are replaced.
While some fire departments give out smoke detectors for free, Dempsey wasn't aware of any place that provides carbon monoxide detectors, but said they're not an expensive investment.
"We also want to stress, as the price of fuel rises, if people are going to switch fuels out, make sure the fuel alternative has a proper working device behind it," Dempsey said. "As far as stoves, make sure they're cleaned and inspected."
Police believe that this was the reason for the death Sunday, a jump from one fuel to another.
"All the safety concerns weren't addressed," Dempsey said.
"We just want to make sure people are aware," he said. "We can see that we have a lot of people switching to alternative fuels while on our patrols with the smoke coming out of different chimneys."
Dempsey said that police have an informational brochure with different tips on protecting against carbon monoxide available for free at the police station at 24 N. Second St., Saint Clair.