Lawmaker Calls For Mandatory Carbon Monoxide Detectors Following Death At LI Mall

CBS New York (con't)

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HUNTINGTON, N.Y. (CBSNewYork) The weekend death of a restaurant manager on Long Island from carbon monoxide fumes has lawmakers considering new legislation to prevent future tragedies.

As WCBS 880 Long Island Bureau Chief Mike Xirinachs reported, Suffolk County legislator William Spencer said in the aftermath of the fatal incident at the Legal Sea Foods restaurant at the Walt Whitman Shops in Huntington Station, all businesses inspected by the health department should be required to install carbon monoxide detectors.

Spencer also said first responders should be outfitted with CO detectors.

Our first responders should be protected. I think that they should have portable detectors so that when theyre rushing into an emergency situation, they can be aware, Spencer told Xirinachs.

Restaurant manager Steven Nelson, 55, was found dead in the basement of Legal Sea Foods Saturday night. More than two dozen other people were sent to hospitals for treatment.

Captain Mark Cappola told CBS 2s Andrea Grymes that he had no idea that carbon monoxide would hit him and other first responders when they arrived at the restaurant.

In retrospect I probably was feeling it more than I wanted to admit but most of its adrenaline thats keeping you going, he said.

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Lawmaker Calls For Mandatory Carbon Monoxide Detectors Following Death At LI Mall