| The temperature was supposed to be in the | | | | already and the house should have warmed up by |
| teens with a few inches of snow, just another | | | | then. In fact, it seemed rather warm around the |
| typical winter day in the Twin Cities area of | | | | furnace but nowhere else in the home. |
| Minnesota. The Johnson household was scrambling | | | | Not being an expert on furnaces, Dianne decided |
| to get the kids off to school and Pete and | | | | to call the furnace company to see if she could |
| Jennifer were already running late for work. It did | | | | get someone out to check the furnace. She |
| not seem like anyone had slept very well last nite, | | | | started feeling a headache coming on as she |
| and their son Jeremy complained about not feeling | | | | waited on the phone for the furnace company. |
| very well. Jeremy had an important test to take | | | | Then, as she was explaining the situation to the |
| at school that day so he decided to go | | | | representative, she was told get herself and |
| nevertheless. | | | | everyone out of the house immediately. |
| By mid afternoon Jeremy and his sister Jane | | | | Quickly, she told Jennifer and Jeremy to get |
| arrived home from school. Jeremy was feeling | | | | dressed, they may have a gas leak in the house. |
| better and decided to watch some cartoons until | | | | They tried to wake the children, but to their |
| he had to go to hockey practice that evening. | | | | horror they were unresponsive. immediately they |
| After eating dinner however, Jeremy was not | | | | called 911. The ambulance arrived and everyone |
| feeling all that well anymore and asked if he could | | | | went to the hospital. They had been poisoned by |
| not go to practice that evening. In fact, during | | | | the colorless, odorless, silent killer, Carbon |
| dinner, every one mentioned they were not | | | | Monoxide! Fortunately, later on in the evening, the |
| feeling very well and felt like they had the chills. | | | | whole family had Blood/CO2 levels that were |
| Jennifer turned up the thermostat and every one | | | | back to normal and they could leave the hospital. |
| went to bed early. | | | | After speaking with the furnace company, |
| The next morning was Saturday. Fortunately | | | | Jennifer discovered what had happened and could |
| nobody had any big plans that day because the | | | | not believe it. Of all things, a crow had fallen down |
| whole family had come down with what seemed | | | | their furnace flue and caused the exhaust to back |
| to be the flu. By early afternoon every one was | | | | up into the house. Like anything, crows like to |
| very ill and vomiting. Something just did not seem | | | | stay warm. What better place to hang out than |
| right to Jennifer so she decided to call he mother | | | | atop a chimney with all the nice warm air coming |
| Dianne who was a nurse. She told Jennifer she | | | | out. Too bad there was also carbon monoxide |
| would pick up a few things from the store and | | | | coming out the chimney which caused the bird to |
| come over and try to help out a little bit. Upon | | | | fall asleep and plunge down the flue. |
| arriving, she asked Dianne asked why they had | | | | The moral of the story is this. If you do not have |
| the furnace turned down so low, but Jennifer | | | | a chimney cover on your furnace flue, get one on |
| insisted she had already turned the thermostat up | | | | there now. Do not buy the inexpensive kind either. |
| twice. | | | | Make sure you get the kind that will keep out |
| Dianne could tell Jennifer was not thinking very | | | | birds and also squirrels. Furthermore, get your |
| clearly, in fact the whole house seemed to be in a | | | | furnace inspected every heating season, and get |
| confused state of mind. Dianne decided to check | | | | it cleaned if it is dirty. And remember, just |
| the thermostat and it was indeed turned up. She | | | | something as simple as a bird trying to stay |
| then went down to the basement to see what | | | | warm could have seriously injured or even killed |
| was going on with the furnace. The furnace was | | | | this family. |
| on, but she had been at the house for an hour | | | | |