Can Your Smoke Alarm Wake You and the Kids?
Smoke Alarm testing recently has had some astonishing results: many people don’t hear their alarm go off if they’re in a deep sleep. Children are particularly peaceful when smoke alarms sound, often sleeping right through them. Although most of today’s homes have at least one or two alarms they’re no good if the people of the house don’t hear them.
After testing 85 decibel smoke alarms it was found that most children will sleep right through it. Raising the decibel level to 120 did no good either. Children stirred a little but continued to sleep. And children aren’t the only ones who don’t hear the alarms; some adults don’t either.
One way to train a person to wake up during the sounding of the smoke alarm is to set the alarm off once a week and discuss fires and fire safety briefly. One of the reasons people don’t wake up when the alarm sounds is that they don’t recognize the sound in their sleep and it becomes just another outside noise. Once a person is trained to recognize the sound he or she is more likely to wake up when they hear that sound. This technique works only for a few people.
Having the smoke detectors placed directly over every bed in the house can help somewhat. If the alarm is in the hallway or downstairs it’s not as easy to hear as it would be if overhead or beside the headboard. Alarms should be placed on ceilings, where smoke accumulates, not low on the wall, beside the bed.
Walkie-talkies, or similar gadgets, can help a parent assist a child that can’t be physically reached because of where the fire is located. Upon being awakened by the alarm the parent can talk into the walkie-talkie to communicate with the child. “Wake up! There’s a fire! Go out the window – now!” Because the fire can be in an area that prevents the child from escaping, through the normal taught escape route, the parents can now talk their child through the escape.
New smoke alarms are available that allow a parent or guardian to speak into the alarm before placing it in a strategic area. When smoke triggers the alarm, instead of hearing a high-pitched shrill, the child will hear their parent telling them to get out of the house. Although this type of smoke detector has better results it still takes a couple of minutes for the child to finally respond to the parents voice. When recording on a vocal alarm device speak loudly, clearly, and with urgency. Say the name of your child, several times, into the recorder and state firmly: “Get up! There is a fire! This is Mommy! Wake Up Now!” Make sure, during the recording, to tell the child where to go. Although the child is awakened, he or she is still in a state of disorientation. Say “Go out the front door” or “Come to Mommy’s Room” during the recording.
Even newer alarms are being considered that might be better at waking deep sleepers during a fire. These alarms would not only sound the warning but, located over the top of every bed, would begin spraying cold water downward. The combination of the sound and the cold water can wake even the deepest sleeper. Few people sleep through getting cold water sprayed upon them. The alarm would contain a refillable cartridge for replacing the water later.
After reviewing tests concerning children sleeping through smoke alarms most people would agree that alarms need a radical change – immediately. Some manufacturers are on top of the issue, working on creating new and more efficient alarms that will wake up anyone. When considering smoke alarms for your home pass by the typical alarms and check to see what’s new.
