Earlier this week, a local fraternity had a disaster, an explosion, actually. The initial thought for the explosion was a natural gas leak, but investigators now think it was more likely caused by the boiler.

Regardless of the cause, it serves as a reminder of how important it is to have properly operating equipment in our homes -- furnaces, hot water heaters, boilers. And with such a large investment as our house, the cost of buying and installing detectors is a small investment.

Smoke detectors. According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, about 3,000 people die each year from residential fires and the majority of the deaths are due to smoke and toxic fume inhalation, not burning. http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/pubs/5077.html

Smoke detectors are an absolute necessity. They should be installed on every level of your home (the most important location being in/near sleeping quarters) and tested monthly to ensure proper operation. There are different types of smoke detectors. Always follow the manufacturer's instructions to ensure effective and proper installation and operation. http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/pubs/559.pdf

Carbon monoxide detectors. Carbon monoxide is basically invisible to our senses -- it cannot be seen or smelled. Carbon monoxide can poison and even kill you. CO emissions are produced when fuel such as gas, oil, or wood is burned, although the amount of produced while using fuel-burning appliances is usually not harmful. The problems typically occurs when equipment is being improperly used or is malfunctioning. For detailed information, visit http://www.ul.com/consumers/co.html

Multi-gas detectors. This detector is designed to detect carbon monoxide and explosive gas. In addition to smoke alarms installed throughout our home, I personally also have a multi-gas detector installed.  Again, there are different versions on the market, so a little research for personal preference will go a long way. One piece of advice is to invest in a unit that has different alarms for the different types of gases. Here is a link to one manufacturer: http://www.firstalert.com/carbon_monoxide_alarms_item.php?pid=26

At a minimum, you should always have functional, operating smoke alarms installed in your home. For the health and well-being of yourself and your family, consider taking the extra step and getting another a CO or multi-gas detector as well.