An unsettling discovery was made during Saturday’s “Heat’s On” event, in which a local mechanical company inspected furnaces in the homes of 25 people in need.

Twelve of the homes didn’t have carbon monoxide detectors, Austin Fire Chief Dan Wilson said, but together with Austin Utilities, that problem is being taken care of.

Wilson said 10 of the 12 homes have received carbon monoxide detectors so far, which are being provided by the fire department and the utility company.

“That’s what we do,” Wilson said. “We’re supposed to help.”

The lack of detectors was discovered as crews from Harty Mechanical inspected the homes and repaired furnaces when needed.

Wilson said he was notified and instantly went to Jerry McCarthy, general manager of Austin Utilities, who right away said he’d help out.

“He didn’t even blink,” Wilson added.

McCarthy said that it’s very important that homes have detectors.

“(Carbon monoxide) is colorless, odorless and tasteless,” he said. “Without some sort of detection, a serious problem can occur.”

In fact, detectors have been deemed so important in Minnesota that they have been required in single-family homes by law since 2008.

According to the American Medical Association, unintentional carbon monoxide exposure leads to roughly 15,000 emergency room visits and 500 deaths each year, with the highest number of cases coming in December and January, when furnaces are on full-blast but homes may not be properly ventilated.

To prevent exposure, households should be careful to inspect heating systems annually, in addition to having detectors.