Codes Save Lives
Inspector discovers carbon monoxide leak,
saves children
When Johnny Vollendroff arrived at the rental property that
day in 1996, he thought he was checking out a simple code
complaint. Little did he know how important that visit would
be. While the man of the house showed him around the place,
John noted multiple code violations. The electric panel was
incorrectly placed and missing its door. The lighting consisted
of a single loop of exposed wiring hanging from the ceiling.
The toilet was leaking through the bathroom wall into a kitchen
cabinet, where a variety of molds grew. The windows were all
single pane plastic. But, upon entering the living room, he
saw the scariest thing. A gas fired heater sat in the spot
where a wood stove must have been. The flue in the wall was
open. The stove was exhausting directly in to the room. Beside
it was a 50-gallon propane tank.
Johnny noticed that as they walked around the house, the
gentleman had coughed frequently. Johnny now turned and asked
him about his cold. The man replied that he wasn't nearly
as sick as his wife and kids. The family had all gotten the
flu a few weeks before and it just wouldn't go away. He described
the symptoms, including blood shot eyes and a runny nose.
Johnny explained to the man that these were all signs of carbon
monoxide poisoning. They bundled the family into the gentleman's
car and drove to the health department.
The attending doctor later described the children as having
the worst cases of carbon monoxide poisoning he had ever seen
that had not resulted in death. That unconnected flue in the
wall may have let enough fresh air into the living room to
keep them alive. However, they would not have lasted much
longer. The family moved out of the rental house immediately
and Johnny condemned the property. He knew that his efforts
had saved those children's lives.
Story submitted by
Johnny Lee Vollendroff
Building Inspector/Code Official
California
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