“It could be a false alarm but more
importantly it could be something
that’s deadly,” said Sarasota County
Fire Chief Michael Regnier of the alarm.
T
he problem wasn’t carbon mon-
oxide. Sarasota County’s Hazmat
team and firefighters blame the fam-
ily’s golf cart for producing a deadly
hydrogen and sulfur-dioxide based
gas.
“We do see this with golf carts where
people are charging their golf carts in
garages,” explained Chief Regnier.
R
egnier said owners of older
golf carts to be cautious while
charging the batteries in an enclosed
space. If the battery becomes over-
charged, it can give off hydrogen gas.
“The charging system that they have is
not one that turns off once the battery
is charged right away,” stated Chief
Regnier.
“I don’t want to use this anymore. It
scares me,” explained Marrs. “You
don’t know how much you’ve ingested,
you don’t know how much is in your
blood stream.”
N
ow Marrs doesn’t
want to move her
golf cart, which is her
main form of transporta-
tion, out of her driveway
and into the garage. She
is living with epilepsy,
and can’t drive a car for
safety reasons.
A
but if it has to be inside,
make sure there is ven-
tilation. If a homeowner
hears the carbon mon-
oxide detector going off,
evacuate immediately
and call 911.
C
arbon monoxide
detectors can be
purchased online, or at
most major retailers. If
you are not sure which
type is best for your
needs, contact your local
Fire Department.
lthough the golf cart
sent her and six oth-
er people in her house
to the emergency room,
she is grateful she can
warn others about her
near-death
experience.
CHARGE YOUR
“It hap-
GOLF CART
pened to us
OUTSIDE OR IN
and it could
A WELL VENTI-
happen to
LATED AREA
you too,”
cried Marrs.
T
he
National Golf Cart
Association recommends
charging carts outside,
FEBRUARY 2019
13