USI Announces Sponsorship of National Carbon Mo...

PICO RIVERA, Calif. - USI is proud to partner with the National Carbon Monoxide Awareness Association (NCOAA) in helping to take action to prevent accidental poisoning by this invisible and deadly gas. As temperatures drop, the risk of CO poisoning increases due to the use of heating systems and gas-powered generators, making it crucial for families to be vigilant.

Carbon monoxide, often referred to as a "silent killer," is a colorless, odorless, and tasteless gas emitted any time a carbon-containing fuel is burned. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), more than 100,000 emergency room visits, 14,000 hospitalizations, and over 1,200 deaths occur each year in the U.S. due to CO poisoning. Many of these incidents happen in the home, where gas-powered furnaces, generators, and stoves are common sources of exposure.

"Carbon monoxide protection shouldn't stop at a single alarm on a single wall," USI said in a statement. "Partnering with NCOAA during CO Awareness Month gives us a way to reach people at every stage of life - new parents, renters, older adults, anyone who assumes their home is already covered - with the tools and the reminder to check that it actually is."

A Growing Public Health Crisis

Despite the widespread availability of CO alarms, over 60% of CO poisonings happen in the home, and more than half of U.S. homes do not have a functioning CO alarm. Even where alarms are present, most are only set to sound at life-threatening levels of 70 parts per million (ppm) or higher.

That threshold gap matters. Harmful low-level CO exposure - well below the point where a standard alarm triggers - often goes undetected entirely. Chronic low-level exposure can lead to serious long-term health effects, including central nervous system damage, respiratory issues, and developmental complications in children.

The risk isn't distributed evenly, either. During the 2021 winter storms in Texas, Black, Hispanic, and Asian residents made up 72% of CO poisonings despite comprising only 57% of the population - a disparity that underscores why broad-based education and alarm access, not just individual awareness, are part of closing this gap.

How to Protect Your Home and Family

NCOAA urges everyone to take proactive steps to reduce the risk of CO poisoning at home. The core guidance is unchanged from year to year - what changes is how often it's actually followed.

1. Install CO alarms. Ensure every floor of your home and each sleeping area has a working CO alarm. Test alarms monthly and replace them every 5-7 years, or as recommended by the manufacturer.
2. Maintain appliances. Have gas appliances such as furnaces, water heaters, and stoves inspected annually by a qualified technician.
3. Use generators safely. Never use gas-powered generators inside your home or garage, even with doors open. Generators should be placed at least 20 feet away from your home, with exhaust facing away from windows and doors.
4. Avoid car dangers. Do not leave vehicles running in an attached garage - CO can build up to dangerous levels quickly, a risk that has grown with the spread of keyless ignitions and the accidental "I forgot it was still running" scenario they enable.

NCOAA also continues to advocate for regulatory change: lowering the alarm thresholds on CO detectors so they alert residents to dangerous levels before lasting harm occurs. Today's standard detectors are set far above the World Health Organization's recommended exposure limit of 4 ppm over 24 hours.

Where USI's Alarms Fit

USI has engineered home protection since 1969. Its carbon monoxide and combination smoke/CO alarms use microprocessor intelligence to read CO concentration patterns more precisely, aiming to reduce false alarms while still responding to genuine danger, with one-touch test/silence for fast maintenance checks.

In 2025, USI joined Feit Electric, bringing new investment into the program - including a move into the connected home with IoT accessories, smart locks, and kitchen fire suppression sprays. The alarm on the wall is still the foundation; what's changed is everything USI is building around it.

Support NCOAA's Mission

NCOAA is committed to preventing CO poisonings and supporting survivors through education, advocacy, and community outreach. USI is committed to eliminating this silent killer alongside them.

Donations to NCOAA help fund critical awareness campaigns, research, and policy initiatives aimed at reducing CO exposure and saving lives - including within firefighting and rescue worker communities, who face some of the highest cumulative exposure risk of anyone.