Kim and Ken Hansen get to mark one in the "win" column.

The West Seneca couple has worked doggedly for months for a state law requiring a carbon

monoxide detector in every home. That legislation takes effect Monday, giving New York the

strongest such law in the country.

Bolstered by their success at the state level, the couple plans to take the campaign

national.

But if any victory comes at too high a price, it is the Hansens'.

Last January, their 16-year-old daughter, Amanda, went to a sleepover at a close friend's

house. The two girls went to sleep in the basement, where a malfunctioning boiler leaked

carbon monoxide, silently poisoning the girls as they slept.

Amanda never woke up.

"I had a carbon monoxide detector in my house," her father said. "I never thought about

going to other people's houses and checking."

A month after Amanda died, her parents got a phone call last Feb. 27 on what would have

been her 17th birthday. An acquaintance told them of a parent who heard about Amanda's death

and insisted on installing a carbon monoxide detector before a children's sleepover.

That evening, the detector went off, potentially saving the children's lives.

"We just both started crying," Ken Hansen said. "As soon as we got that phone call and hung

up, we knew this is what we need to do to keep Amanda's name alive. That's what we need to do

with the rest of our lives."

"It was like a sign, being on her birthday," added his wife, who works on the office staff

for Kaleida Health.

Audio: The Hansens on why they work to raise awareness

The couple went to work immediately, calling Assemblyman Mark J.F. Schroeder to enlist his

support for their crusade. From that point on, the Hansens worked for months to get the law

passed — collecting signatures on a petition, working with politicians, making phone

calls and doing anything they could to spread the word and rally support.

Within about six months, the bill was signed into law in Albany.

"It's exciting, because we know that too few homes have this protection. On behalf of the

safety of the residents of the state of New York, this new law will accelerate the level of

protection in homes across the state," said Meri-K Appy, president of the Home Safety Council,

a nonprofit group in Washington, D.C.

Appy hails Amanda's law as the benchmark by which other states should measure their

situations. And she's not alone. The Hansens got a call from a Massachusetts state senator who

has been trying for two years to get a similar law adopted in his state.

"He was asking, "What can I do to help get this put through?' My answer to him was, "You

need your community behind you,' " said Ken Hansen, 45, who for many years managed Ed Young's

Hardware Store in Williamsville before a car accident landed him on disability.

Each step of the way, the Hansens got overwhelming support, from the signatures on

petitions that Amanda's friends at West Seneca West High School helped gather to the teamwork

of elected officials from the town level up to the state level.

They believe that level of support speaks to the type of person Amanda was — someone

who went out of her way to use her humor and kindness to make sure no one felt left out.

"Everyone just knew her and loved her," her father said. "We watched Amanda have birthday

parties here, and the main group of people wouldn't like a certain person. But Amanda would

invite her. That's how Amanda was. She made sure that girl was treated equal all night."

An honors student and a member of the girls swim team, Amanda took her work seriously, but

always made time for fun, too, they said.

Amanda, their only child, was the center of their world. A year has passed, but their grief

has only grown.

"It doesn't get easier. It gets harder," Ken Hansen said. "Nothing's the same."

Amanda's friends come over often, bringing flowers for Amanda on her birthday and holidays,

bearing gifts of photo collages and hand-drawn pictures in honor of their friend, regaling her

parents with tales of their teenage exploits.

Some days, the girls come to talk to the Hansens. Some days, what they want most is to talk

to Amanda. And so they trek up the carpeted steps to her bedroom, where the purple walls evoke

the warmth she exuded, and Amanda's ashes rest in a floral urn on her dresser.

Most days, the Hansens find refuge in her room, too. They often sit in her room to reflect,

and to gather strength.

"We've spent many times saying, "Just help Mom and Dad get through this. Be with us. Be on

our shoulder,' " said her mother, who is 43.

Day by day, the Hansens continue their campaign to spread awareness about the need for

carbon monoxide detectors.

Carbon monoxide, known as the silent killer, is a colorless, odorless gas that's produced

when anything is burned. Common causes of carbon monoxide poisoning include malfunctioning or

poorly installed fuel-burning appliances; cars running in an attached garage with the door

closed; and a blocked chimney or flue.

More than 400 people a year die from carbon monoxide poisoning in the United States, and

thousands more suffer injuries.

The new state law requires that a carbon monoxide detector be installed in every dwelling

on the lowest level that has bedrooms. Until now, state law required carbon monoxide detectors

only in homes built or sold after July 30, 2002.

The alarms, which may be powered by battery or by electrical outlet, typically cost $20 to

$50.

The new law puts property owners, especially landlords, on notice.

"Anyone that owns a piece of property, they have to understand, that's the law now," said

Dennis Virtuoso, director of code enforcement in Niagara Falls. "They're going to be held

liable in case anything happens."

Local officials say the law will be somewhat easier to enforce for buildings with three or

more units, which have to be inspected every three years. But one- and two-family homes are

not routinely inspected.

"If there's no reason to be in the house, we can't enforce it," said Carl Heimiller,

supervising code enforcement officer in the Town of Tonawanda.

But when someone applies for a permit to have work done on their house, inspectors will be

able to check for compliance with carbon monoxide detectors.

Although the law requires only one carbon monoxide detector in each dwelling, many experts

advise having at least one on every floor with bedrooms, as well as one in the basement, which

is where most gas appliances are.

The detectors need to be replaced every five years, because the sensor in each one has a

limited life span.

The Hansens already have begun working with Rep. Brian Higgins on a campaign to have

Congress adopt a national law to require carbon monoxide detectors in every home in the

country.

They believe they will succeed.

In the meantime, they do all they can to urge homeowners to take the initiative to install

the detectors — and to encourage parents to protect their children, even when they're

staying at someone else's house overnight.

"I like hearing that parents are asking this question: "Do you have a detector in your

home?' If they say no, well guess what, you can make the decision and say, "You're not

sleeping over,' " Kim Hansen said.

"Do what you've got to do," her husband urged. "Don't be ashamed to ask the question. And

if a parent's uncomfortable with you asking it, then don't let your kid go over there. My main

message is, protect your children."