Brink's Home Security Wins 2009 First Line Of Defense Award From NBFAA

  • Jun 17, 2009

When Deb Makowski left her home for work, she could not have foreseen the impending danger that might have quietly taken her daughter’s life. Due to wintery conditions, carbon monoxide began to fill Makowski’s home as her daughter lay resting in bed. As the emergency situation developed, neither Makowski nor her daughter were able to detect the danger in their home, but they did not need to because Brink’s Home Security did.

As the leading cause of accidental poisoning in the United States, carbon monoxide is an odorless, tasteless and colorless gas produced by many common household appliances. When not properly ventilated, carbon monoxide can easily build up over time, causing serious injury and possibly death. The U.S. Center for Disease Control estimates that carbon monoxide poisoning claims nearly 500 lives each year, and is also responsible for more than15,000 emergency room visits.

When Makowski’s home began to fill with carbon monoxide emitted from her heater, her monitored home alarm system went to work. Detecting a significant rise in CO levels, the carbon monoxide detector sent a signal to the Brink’s Home Security monitoring station and monitoring operator Cindy Satterlee. Satterlee quickly contacted the home to verify the emergency. With no response at the residence, Satterlee contacted Makowski’s mobile phone and notified her of the emergency situation. When informed that Makowski’s daughter was home alone, Satterlee contacted local emergency services to request an emergency dispatch. Within minutes, emergency crews arrived at Makowski’s home to find her daughter unconscious with carbon monoxide poisoning. Emergency personnel rushed her to the hospital to begin oxygen treatments, and her life was saved.

In honor of this quick emergency response by Satterlee and Brink’s Home Security, the National Burglar & Fire Alarm Association (NBFAA) has presented Brink’s Home Security with the 2009 First Line of Defense Award. The First Line of Defense Award, presented annually by the NBFAA, was instituted to publicize emergency response success stories and to provide consumers with an awareness of the value of alarm systems.

“I am extremely grateful to all of the Brink’s employees who went above and beyond to help me and my family during this time,” Makowski said. “Not only did they help coordinate everything once the alarm was received, they even called me back later that day to make sure that everything was alright. Brink’s Home Security saved my daughter’s life and I will never be able to repay them for that.”

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