Denise Stemple, a 21-year-resident who said she was a close friend of the man who died, said the latest rounds of gas scares have convinced her that she needs to leave.
"We need more maintenance men," Stemple said. "They do a lot but they need to do more. I'm scared to death. I have two children and a husband, and I'm concerned. It's time for me to move on."
Brittany Longbottom lives on the same block of High Seas Court as Stemple and said that news of the repeated calls "affects our friends and family, because then they start calling to make sure we're all right. I had my mama calling after what happened Sunday night."
Carbon monoxide remains one of the leading causes of accidental deaths in the United States. At low doses, fatigue and chest pain in people with heart disease can occur. At higher concentrations, people may experience impaired vision and coordination, headaches, dizziness, confusion and nausea.
State Del. Ben Barnes, a Prince George's County Democrat and a sponsor of the alarm requirement for new construction, said the measure was a good first step but that "all dwellings need to be equipped, much like they are with smoke detectors. It's just common sense."
Observers say drafting legislation punishing repeat offenders may be problematic. Carbon monoxide deaths are relatively rare, and the issue has not gained much national traction.
David G. Penney, a physiology professor at Wayne State University in Ohio and author of three books on the dangers of carbon monoxide, said it generally is up to local public health departments or fire departments to police repeat violators.
Several states have adopted mandatory detector laws, he said, but tenants who suffered from inhalation could also seek legal remedies against landlords.
"Of course, somebody can take them to court and sue them," Penney said. "These are all possibilities."
