This week marks Carbon Monoxide Awareness Week in the country, CO is described as tasteless, odourless, colourless and a deadly gas that can kill silently in just minutes.

The Okotoks Fire Department is hoping people will take the time to educate themselves on the potential CO hazards they could have in their homes.

Fire Chief Ken Thevenot says there's many sources that carbon monoxide can come from in a home.

"Basically its incomplete burning, so CO would be released that's how it would be produced," he says. "Or from not complete burning in your fireplaces or water heaters, barbecues those kind of items or vehicles can produce it as well, those are some of the areas that would produce or could produce carbon monoxide."

Thevenot says the best way to know if you home is safe from CO would be to make sure you have a properly working monitor installed and maintained regularly as they detect what would eventually be a dangerous amount of CO if you didn't act to it.

"That 25 to 35 ppm before you would see any signs or symptoms would give you up to eight hours but you don't want to be in there, you want to make sure if your alarm goes on that, check right away don't just turn it off and think it's just a battery problem."

Thevenot says there's more than one way to know if you've been exposed to carbon monoxide.

"Any flu like symptoms, headaches, nausea, dizziness, confusion, drowsiness, any loss of conscience, anything of that nature phone 9-1-1 don't hesitate, and we'll come out and give you hand to make sure your residence is safe."

For more information follow the Carbon Monoxide Awareness Week link here.