LAKELAND, Minn. — Inside this Emergency Communications Response Center, it's all hands on deck.
"We dispatch for all law enforcement, fire and EMS in Washington County," said Commander Tim Harris with the Washington County Sheriff's Office.
And Monday morning, "We received a phone call from a family member of one of the residents that's in the city of Lakeland," he said.
After the people living there failed to answer the door for a scheduled appointment, deputies responded to the home, which was reportedly without power since Saturday. The homeowners had not been heard from since Sunday night.
While at the home, a deputy smelled a strong smell of exhaust from the open service door in the attached garage. This prompted deputies to take a closer look.
"One of the deputies was a little concerned," he said. "One thing that caught his eye was the generator in the garage connected to the home."
A 71-year-old man and a 69-year-old woman were found unconscious inside the home with an empty propane heater in the living room. They were both rushed to the hospital, in addition to a deputy who was also treated for carbon monoxide exposure. The deputy was later released.
"It can be very dangerous," Harris said. "You don't know what you're walking into."
Heavy snow caused power outages and downed trees Friday night, leading to a busy weekend for deputies and those taking calls.
"Through the course of 24 hours during that storm, we wound up receiving more than 1,200 calls for service," he said.
The call load during that time is usually around 500 calls.
But while the effort to save lives continues long after the storm passes, Harris is praising deputies for thinking about the people inside the home and following through with a fast response.
"Our thoughts and prayers go out to the family as they are going through recovery with this," he said.
He's now issuing an important reminder for others.
"Every second does count when you're dealing with a situation like this and carbon monoxide kills and we should be taking it very seriously," he said.
There's no update tonight on the conditions of the victims, but Harris says they were "conscious and breathing" at the scene.
Deputies say it's important to have carbon monoxide detectors inside your home. If you suspect carbon monoxide poisoning, you should get to fresh air immediately and seek medical attention.
Visit this link to see Xcel Energy Outage Safety tips for keeping your home and family safe.
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