Police departments in RI add carbon monoxide detectors to Ford police cruisers

August 3, 2017 6:02 pm

By Bianca Buono

bbuono@abc6.com

@BBuonoABC6

Safety concerns are driving police departments in Rhode Island to make some changes to their cruisers.

It’s all fueled by Wednesday’s discovery in Auburn, MA. An officer got into a car accident after he was allegedly exposed to carbon monoxide while driving his Ford Explorer police cruiser. He passed out and lost control then struck a car at a stop sign. He ultimately came to a stop in a parking lot across the street. He’s in the hospital along with two other officers who tested positive for carbon monoxide exposure.

"Our officers are in these cars driving them pretty much all shift whether it be 8 hours or 12 hours,” said Lt. Sean Parker of Cranston Police.

Lt. Parker says Cranston police has been looking to install carbon monoxide detectors in their cruisers for sometime, but after Wednesday’s incident in Auburn, they expedited that process.

They spent the day Thursday installing CO detectors in 23 of their vehicles.

"We went with a home-based, CO detection system. It’s a little bit more reliable. It’s a sealed unit which has a ten year battery,” said Lt. Parker.

ABC6 reached out to well over a dozen police departments across Rhode Island. The vast majority, including Rhode Island State Police, are following in Cranston’s footsteps.

"We have researched and are in the process of purchasing carbon monoxide detectors for all our vehicles,” said Lt. Sean O’Hern of the Rhode Island State Police.

So far, Ford has not issued a recall. They say it is the after-market companies that make modifications to police cruisers that are to blame.