NAHANT— Local and State leaders gathered at the Nahant Fire Department for the launch of the town’s “Get Alarmed” Carbon Monoxide Safety Program and the Benson Fund.
On Jan. 8, John Benson, 77, his sister-in-law Youngae Benson, 74, and his nephew Andrew Carruth, 45 were found dead in their home on Cottage Street. Nahant Firefighters later determined there were elevated levels of carbon monoxide in their home.
“They were kind and caring people, we were lucky to have them in our town,” Selectman Josh Antrim said Wednesday. “It’s always shocking when a tragedy like this occurs and sometimes it’s felt even more intensely in our small and tightly-knit community.”
Both initiatives were founded in the family’s memory with the goal of preventing similar tragedies in the future.
Any resident who signs up for the program will be able to have brand new carbon monoxide detectors installed in their residence for free. The Benson Fund’s purpose is to gather donations to keep the program functional for years to come.
“This program is going to launch by the end of the month and all residents are going to be eligible,” Town Administrator Tony Barletta said. “On an annual basis, we will check in with those folks if they need help replacing batteries or just to make sure that their detectors are working properly.”
Bareltta expressed thanks to Commander Dan McMackin of Nahant’s American Legion, as his group made the inaugural donation of $2,000 to the Benson Fund.
“It’s not just a tragedy, it’s a preventable tragedy,” McMackin said. “And as American Legion, we saw this as a call to action.”
Later on Wednesday night, the Board of Selectmen voted unanimously to allocate an additional $2,000 in American Rescue Plan Act funds for the cause.
