Carbon Monoxide Response At East Brainerd Road Apartment Complex

The Chattanooga Fire Department stresses the importance of having functioning smoke alarms *AND* working carbon monoxide detectors after a recent incident at a Chattanooga apartment complex. On November 22, 2022 at 6:44 PM, a concerned citizen reported that her CO alarm had been going off and requested that her apartment get checked out. Firefighters from Station 21 responded to the Meridian at Hamilton Place Apartments on East Brainerd Road and entered the concerned citizen’s unit to investigate. They found elevated levels of carbon monoxide and started working to find the source. The residents were evacuated. They checked the gas fireplace, flue, dryer, and other appliances and then went to search for the heating unit which was not inside the apartment. A neighboring apartment also had elevated CO levels so that resident and his pet were evacuated. Additional firefighters were called to the scene, along with Chattanooga Gas, CPD, HCEMS, McKamey Animal Center and the complex’s management and maintenance. Crews continued checking remaining apartments in the building while the maintenance manager went to the roof to cut off all gas valves for the heating units to all of the apartments. The gas company put locks on all of the meters for apartments that had any level of reported CO. Quint 21 took final readings before turning the scene over to the apartment complex management and gas representative. Work had been done on the gas heat system located on the roof earlier that day. Thanks to the concerned citizen who took action and potentially stopped a dangerous situation from becoming much worse. Their carbon monoxide alarm was their first sign that something wasn’t right.