SPECIAL REPORT: Two decades after the U.S. government identified portable generators as a deadly danger, consumers are left vulnerable by a system that lets the industry regulate itself, an investigation by ProPublica, TexasTribune and NBCNews finds.
swept across Texas and overwhelmed the state’s power grid, sending residents scrambling to find a way to heat their homes.Sheletta Brundidge, a comedian and media personality from Texas who lives near Minneapolis, said she knew what that meant: “People were going to bring generators into their garages or into their houses, and they were going to poison themselves.”About six months earlier, in August 2020, Hurricane Laura — another powerful storm — knocked out electricity across Louisiana.
“I felt like if I could just get the word out and tell people about the danger that it could save lives,” Brundidge said. “Please hurry, I have two men who are passed out,” she told the EMS dispatcher, according to a recording of the 911 call. “He’s not breathing.”“I think so,” the woman wailed in response, telling her husband, “Don’t you do this to me.”
By 2023, 100 percent of portable generators sold by Generac will be equipped with shut-off sensors, Kou said, adding that “the most effective method for reducing unintentional CO poisonings is for consumers to properly operate the portable generator according to the manufacturer’s instructions.”“We could just cut it off at the head, you know, and do something so that the product is safer for the consumer,” she said of generator makers.
Canada Latest News, Canada Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
From Olivia Rodrigo to Rauw Alejandro, Inside Our Picks for 2021's Best AlbumsThe new episode of Rolling Stone Music Now is a guided tour through our selections for the best albums of 2021
Read more »
David and Victoria Beckham's giant party feature inside £31m home might surprise youBrooklyn Beckham commented on his parents David and Victoria Beckham's wine cellar at their £31million family home in Holland Park, London.
Read more »
Inside NBC star Willie Geist's incredible $1.8 million family home - once owned by Stanely TucciNBC star Willie Geist has given fans a peek into the stunning five-bedroom mansion in South Salem, New York
Read more »
Marisa Tomei Shares Her Inside-Out Beauty Secrets, From Supplements to SerumsThe acclaimed actor reveals her skin-care and makeup routines as she reflects on her wellness journey and perspective on beauty.
Read more »
Inside Joe Swash and Stacey Solomon's Christmas plans after Rose's arrivalJoe Swash has opened up to The Mirror about his intimate family Christmas plans with fiancé Stacey Solomon and their five children. This Christmas will mark their first with baby Rose and their first in Pickle Cottage
Read more »
José Andrés’s Two Massive Downtown Chicago Restaurants to Open WednesdayBazaar Meat’s prized cuts and Bar Mar’s stellar seafood debut along the river
Read more »