Fraternity buys carbon detectors after campus scare

Neighboring fraternity houses are taking note after Friday's carbon monoxide scare at the Alpha Tau Omega house and UNL officials are looking into their policy on detectors.

Members of the Beta Theta Pi fraternity want to make sure what happened to at the old Alpha Tau Omega house doesn't happen to theirs.  After the incident, they went out and bought carbon monoxide detectors.  Jacob Schumacher is the facility manager  and is taking the scare seriously.  He says, “without those detectors, it's a silent killer.  Who knows what could happen.”

Before the scare, the fraternity house has one carbon monoxide detector, but the residents weren't sure where it was or if it was even plugged in.  Schumacher says, “I decided as facilities manager, we need to beef up our carbon monoxide detectors.  I'm actually on my way to get some detectors so that doesn't become a problem in our house.”

Lincoln Fire and Rescue says any home that has heat should also have a carbon monoxide detector.  Bruce Sellon with LFR says it's a very important component.  “Any time you have heat producing appliances, to have a carbon monoxide detectors available.”

UNL doesn't require carbon monoxide detectors in fraternity or sorority houses, but after today that could change.  UNL Vice Chancellor Juan Franco says, “They're not required at this point but we're going be looking at that.”

Schumacher says his house won't be waiting for it to be made a requirement.  “I think this is something that should be required in all sorority and fraternity houses on campus because carbon monoxide is very dangerous and it sneaks right up on you and you don't even know when it's there.”

Most carbon monoxide detectors aren't that expensive, are easy to find and available at most retail stores.

For more information about carbon monoxide and detectors, check out www.carbonmonoxidekills.com/index.php or http://www.consumersearch.com/carbon–monoxide–detectors