CHEEKTOWAGA, NY (WKBW) — “You might be surprised to learn, as I was, that carbon monoxide poisonings in ice rinks are actually quite common,” remarked State Assemblymember Monica Wallace.
Assemblymember Wallace wants to make sure what happened at the Holiday Twin Rinks in Cheektowaga last December never happens again.
More than 100 children and adults suffered carbon monoxide poisoning with some seeking treatment.
Wallace appeared at the Cheektowaga Town indoor ice rink Friday to introduce a bill to prevent CO poisoning at indoor ice rinks by enacting regulations that would require rink owners to maintain "acceptable air quality at all times".
“It would require that the owner keep a log of the air quality. So, air quality monitoring to show that the air is safe on a daily basis,” Wallace explained.
Wallace says her bill would adopt guidelines issued by the EPA and U.S. Ice Rink Association already a law in six states.
“This legislation would require that indoor ice rinks, like Cheektowaga, have a New York State certificate of acceptable air quality prominently displayed in their ice rink,” described Wallace.
The Cheektowaga Town Supervisor pointed out that one of the biggest sources of CO inside these indoor rinks comes from the Zamboni.
“It goes back to these machines. I can it again and again and again -- seriously considering electric power Zamboni’s as a replace — whether their propane or gasoline — in the future would be the best practice,” Brian Nowak remarked.
Cheektowaga fire officials say a faulty furnace caused the CO leak at the Twin Rinks. I asked the Erie County Health Commissioner about the children affected by the CO poisoning.
"Fortunately, they were not high enough toward you know, any type of like, hyperbaric pressure, or anything like that. And we were fortunate enough that emergency departments did the right thing and gave them supplemental oxygen,” responded Dr. Gale Burstein.
Wallace also wants a bill to provide sales tax exemptions on home CO detectors if residents buy them in the month of October, which is Fire Prevention Month.
The president of the Firefighters Association of the State of New York reminds you how to stay safe if your CO detector goes off.
“The best thing to do with the dial 9-1-1 and vacate the house. Leave the house and let the emergency personnel address the situation,” replied Edward Tase.
