Legislators announce bill requiring CO detectors in schools

Just days after carbon monoxide sickened students and staff in the Crandon, Rep. Rob Swearingen (R-Rhinelander) and his colleagues Jeff Mursau (R-Crivitz) and David Steffen (R-Howard), announced Tuesday they will be introducing legislation that would require Wisconsin schools to have carbon monoxide detectors throughout their buildings.

Schools are already required to adopt an indoor environmental quality plan — installing carbon monoxide detectors would be incorporated as a key safety measure, according to a press release introducing the new legislation.

Last week, 39 students and staff from the School District of Crandon were treated at area hospitals for symptoms related to elevated carbon monoxide levels in the school.

“I hope everyone who became ill as a result of the carbon monoxide poisoning is recovering and feeling better,” said Mursau. 

“I’m thankful for the school officials and local emergency responders who took quick action and removed everyone from the school once they knew there was a serious problem. I look forward to working with my colleagues to ensure that we can prevent events like this in the future,” Mursau added.

In order to ensure all schools are able to meet this new safety standard, the proposal would include a process for districts to seek reimbursement for costs associated with purchasing carbon monoxide detectors, the release states.

 Currently, five states — Connecticut, Florida, Maryland, Rhode Island, and Utah — require their schools to have carbon monoxide detectors.

“Student and staff safety should be a top priority, and the fact that carbon monoxide detectors aren’t already mandatory in our schools is frankly shocking,” said Rep. Swearingen. “Every floor of a residential home in Wisconsin must have a carbon monoxide detector. This legislation is a no-brainer. It’s time we take the necessary steps to ensure our schools are equipped with the basic safety measures to stop something so preventable from ever happening again.”

According to superintendent Eric Burke, the School District of Rhinelander has not yet equipped its buildings with carbon monoxide detectors.

 “The school district does not have carbon monoxide detectors at this time,” Burke told the River News via email. “Our maintenance department is currently looking into having them installed in all buildings.”

For more information about the carbon monoxide detector bill, contact the office of Representative Mursau at [email protected] or Representative Swearingen at [email protected].

Heather Schaefer may be reached at [email protected]