In news from local NBC affiliate NBC10, a 2017 carbon monoxide scare at a Cranston, RI school led to the discovery that many schools in the state did not have CO detectors to help protect students, faculty, and staff.

One of the parents of the impacted students fought to get a law passed requiring the protective devices. Her daughter did not recover right away and almost died.

“She flatlined in front of us,” the mother said in the story. “Her blood pressure dropped. Her heart rate dropped. They had to bring her back.”

However, that law, which does not give guidance for older schools on how the alarms need to be added, is not being enforced. The story cites a lack of guidance as a cause of confusion.

“The 2019 law doesn’t give any guidance about what types of detectors schools should install, or where. Plus, there’s no funding for the upgrades needed, which could cost thousands of dollars. The new law also goes beyond what’s already required by existing state law: the Rhode Island Fire Code.”

In the story, a number of students and teachers began feeling sick when were in proximity to a heating vent in the gym at Cranston East High School.

Students and faculty and staff were evacuated and first responders were called. Elevated levels of CO were found.

Playing around with carbon monoxide poising is no joke.

Carbon Monoxide is a colorless, odorless gas that can lead to death when blood levels are elevated.

Luckily it can be mitigated against.

Some of Norris’ biggest and best customers are our school systems for whom we perform a sacred duty: We help keep them safe.

Drop Norris a line today and speak with our Nicet Level III certified fire alarm integration specialist, Melissa Peters. She can speak with you about what detectors make sense, how many and where to put them.

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What is Norris all about?

Norris, Inc.—a South Portland, Maine-based life-safety and security systems integrator with satellite offices in Bangor, Maine; Lee, New Hampshire; and Burlington, Vermont—was founded nearly 40 years ago by two brothers, Brad and Harty Norris. The brothers remain on the board of directors today and continue to help steer the enterprise toward its goal of advancing life-safety, security, and communications while striving to grow in its status as Northern New England’s leading systems integrator. Norris provides fully integrated life-safety and security solutions, comprising disparate systems including fire alarm, intrusion detection, access control, video surveillance, communications, and emergency notification and total systems integration via the Vigilance Systems Integration Engine and ENS.