Carbon monoxide is a colorless, odorless gas that is produced under circumstances that may not be obvious to you – usually associated with fossil fuel of some kind. Without a carbon monoxide alarm home security system it is undetectable until the symptoms are acute: by this time it could be fatal. As a part of your home security, you need to be aware of the problems of carbon monoxide poisoning, and to have a monitoring system that will alert you to the problems before it affects you. There are a number of home security steps you can take:

• Do not run your car engine in the garage with the doors shut.
• Test your heating and cooking apparatus, making sure that the suitable home alarm system is in place.
• When using a fireplace, make sure that the chimney is not blocked.
• Make sure you have the services of a qualified, experienced home security system company.
• Install a carbon monoxide alarm system that detects CO causing more than 10% of carboxyhemoglobin in the blood.
• Treat all carbon monoxide alarm situations as real, even if you think everything is OK.
• Test your monitoring systems at least once a month.
• Register your carbon monoxide alarm with your fire station along with your fire protection system.
• If your carbon monoxide alarm goes off, have everyone leave the building immediately. Do not re-enter until your home security company or fire protection agencies give you the all clear.
• Make sure that you install smoke detectors as well as carbon monoxide alarm systems. These react to fire by products before carbon monoxide alarms, and so can be more useful in some situations.