MEC&F Expert Engineers : WOMAN DIED FROM CARBON MONOXIDE POISONING IN VANDALIA, OHIO APARTMENT. 10 PEOPLE EVACUATED.

Saturday, March 28, 2015

WOMAN DIED FROM CARBON MONOXIDE POISONING IN VANDALIA, OHIO APARTMENT. 10 PEOPLE EVACUATED.






MARCH 28, 2015

VANDALIA, OHIO

UPDATE: Patricia Borden's husband was checking on her because Patricia wasn't able to meet with him and their kids the day before.

The two were separated and going through a divorce.

Emergency crews didn't know what was wrong when they first got there.

"It was the quick thinking of the captain on-scene that decided they wanted to meter it. It just didn't feel right to them," said Chief Follick with the Vandalia Fire Dept.

Chief Follick says crews will soon be able to detect high levels of CO just by walking into a building.

"We're in the process of ordering meters for our EMS bags right now and they have not come in yet so it was the quick thinking of him (the captain on-scene) that got them indicated to what the problem was and got them out. They immediately evacuated the building," said Chief Follick.

We talked with several people who live in the complex. They say the management puts carbon monoxide and smoke detectors in every apartment.

"I've never had any sort of issue with it. It's never beeped or gone off. They also have smoke detectors, two in each apartment and they replace the batteries in them every six months. "

Two other people were checked out for CO poisoning at the complex but they were not taken to the hospital.

This is just another tragic reminder to not only have detectors but to make sure they're working.

"Every time we do one of these interviews with you guys we make that statement. Usually were here because of a tragic event that we have not had an operating smoke or CO detector," said Chief Follick.

Everyone in the building was evacuated while crews searched for the gas leak.

There's no word on what caused the leak, but we do know each apartment had its own gas-fired hot water heater.

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VANDALIA, OHIO

A woman is dead after succumbing to carbon monoxide poisoning.
It happened at the Brookfield Apartments in Vandalia.

Patricia Bolden's, 43, husband was stopping over to check on her Saturday afternoon. That's when he found her lifeless body.


CO levels were extremely high in the apartment. Eight times higher than what can kill a person.

Here is part of the 911 call:Dispatcher: Have you talked to her today or yesterday? Caller: I talked to her yesterday and she said she wasn't feeling well and she asked me to come over and be with her.

Crews do not know where the carbon monoxide leak came from. They are checking each apartment to find the source of the gas.


The carbon monoxide levels were still rising when crews got the scene.We're told every apartment has a carbon monoxide detector.


"Usually were here because of a tragic event that we have not had an operating smoke or carbon monoxide detector. 

There's a carbon monoxide detector are here but I don't know the functionality of it right now," said Vandalia Fire Chief Chad Follick.


About 10 people were evacuated from the building.