(BLAINE) – Mark Katz had what he considered the perfect audience to talk about the dangers of radon and the importance of testing for levels of the toxic material that pervades many Minnesota homes.
“Firefighters go into the home every day,” said Katz, who is a planner and educator with the Minnesota Department of Health. “Not just to look to see if there’s a fire hazard there, but all the other things they do to make sure the homeowner is safe.”
Katz said homes in Minnesota are particularly prone to radon build-up because of the prolonged and cold winters. The homes are built with better and better insulation and they stay closed up for most of the year.
Courtesy: MN Dept. Of Health
“The more we’re in our home with higher radon levels, the greater the risk to lung cancer,” he said.
Katz recommends homeowners try a variety of home radon testing kits to make sure the levels in their home are not at toxic levels. The Department of Health has several websites with information about testing and the impact of radon exposure.
Like radon, carbon monoxide poisoning and the elevated levels of it in the home in the winter time (because of gas fireplaces, space heaters, etc.) are also a major concern that firefighters can help educate homeowners about.
“We have this thing on our wall that hasn’t ever been used before that hasn’t made a sound before. We don’t think we need to change them out,” said Katz. “People may not realize that carbon monoxide detectors need to be changed every 7-10 years.”
