The Austin Fire Department has free Carbon Monoxide detectors available for single or low-income residents who may “go without” them because of the expense, Chief Dan Wilson said Friday.

Particularly with “a couple close calls with carbon monoxide emergencies” recently, the fire department wants the public to be aware of the dangers of CO poisoning.

The APD has been providing and installing free smoke detectors for 14 years; however, they have not had CO detectors available until now.

With funding from the State Fire Marshall and Austin Utilities, a total of 110 CO detectors have been made available.

In the past three weeks, the APD has exhausted their list of recipients from the Salvation Army. As of Friday, 56 detectors were left.

“This stuff doesn’t do any good sitting in a box in the fire department,” the chief said.

Wilson said they are targeting residents who are single, elderly or on a fixed-income for the detectors. Firefighters will install the detectors, and can also install ones residents have purchased themselves.