With the recent discovery of carbon monoxide in the home of a student living off campus, CO has become a hot topic. Many may not realize that this isn't the first time a student has been poisoned in BYU off-campus housing. If changes aren't made soon, it may not be the last.
Improper installation, maintenance and use of appliances sometimes causes an incomplete combustion of fuels, or carbon monoxide, especially during the winter months. CO is odorless, colorless and can be deadly.
As students, the only protection we have from such faulty appliances and the negligence of housing owners is BYU Housing Services. BYU Housing has a moral obligation to preserve the lives of students required to live in housing approved by their codes.
But whose side are they on exactly? BYU housing does not require the installation of carbon monoxide detectors in housing on the premise that 'research has been done that they are not always effective.' According to whom?
Captain Devin Villa of the Salt Lake City Fire Department, as quoted by the Deseret News, believes that every home should have at least one carbon monoxide detector.
Although complaints about carbon monoxide poisoning are few in comparison with other housing problems, CO shouldn't be so easily dismissed. Does it have to take the loss of a student's life for BYU housing officials to take this seriously?
The first step is prevention. A simple inspection required annually by landlords and completed by licensed technicians could save the lives of students living off campus. BYU housing services should require off-campus housing owners to show proof of these annual safety inspections. Carbon monoxide detectors, whether they save one life or 100, is the surest way to prevent harm to students.
I personally know two victims of carbon monoxide poisoning who were living in off-campus housing. The implications of carbon monoxide poisoning, though not explicitly described in this article, are more serious than you can imagine.
Please, a little caring, a little common sense, a little compassion. That's all it will take housing officials to remove at least one of many BYU student's housing concerns.
Amber Meager
Citrus Heights, Calif.