Repair & Improve

Protecting Those Most At Risk From Fire

Chidren face highest risk of death

Young children and older adults face the highest risks of dying in a fire because they often lack the physical strength to get out of a home quickly, or may not wake to the sound of a traditional smoke alarm.

Children and Fire – The Numbers Don’t Lie
In December 2004, the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) announced that voice alarms may be more reliable at waking children under age 16 who may sleep more deeply than adults. Additional statistics and studies underscore this conclusion:

• Children under age 10 account for 22% of all home fire deaths. (US Fire Administration)
• Fires and burns are the leading cause of unintentional home injury deaths for children ages 1-14. (Home Safety Council)
  Studies show that 94% of children ages 6-10 awoke to a voice warning smoke alarm, and 96% of children ages 6-10 awoke to a smoke alarm that had a lower frequency signal. (The Effectiveness of Different Alarms in Waking Sleeping Children)
• The CPSC suggests that alternative cues, such as a voice, may break through a child’s arousal suppression more efficiently than the tone of a smoke alarm. Additionally, an interconnected smoke alarm in the bedroom may wake a caregiver sooner, giving them more time to retrieve and assist children in exiting the home.

Elderly and Fire – Consider These Statistics
Aging and prolonged exposure to loud noise are the most common causes of high-frequency hearing loss. The National Institutes of Health says that 15% of adults ages 55-64, 30% of adults ages 55-74, and 40% of adults ages 75 and over have a hearing loss that affects communication. When combined with recent fire statistics, the need to supplement traditional smoke alarms in the homes of older Americans becomes apparent.

• Adults ages 65 and over face three times the risk of dying in a house fire, and account for 31 percent of all home fire deaths. (USFA)
• An older adult in good health will take approximately 27% longer to escape a house fire than a young adult. (National Institute of Standards and Technology)
• 25% of adults over 65 and 80% of adults over 75 experience age-related hearing loss, which progressively decreases the ability to hear high frequencies. (National Institute of Hearing Loss)

The CPSC suggests that lowering a smoke alarm’s frequency to below 2000 Hz and incorporating voice warnings into an alarm may make the sound more audible for a larger percentage of older adults.

The Industry Leader’s Solution
The Kidde Wireless System links smoke alarms so that when one sounds, they all sound. This gives caregivers an earlier warning and more time to get loved ones out of the home. The system also enables caregivers to install a Kidde SmokeSounder in a loved one’s bedroom to provide additional warning. Equipped with a loud voice module, the SmokeSounder is triggered by a wireless smoke alarm and clearly states, “Danger, Fire! Wake Up! Follow the escape plan!”, followed by a beeping alert specifically set at a lower frequency. Studies show that using lower frequency and voice warning may be more effective at waking children and those with high frequency hearing loss [often as an onset of aging].

For more information, visit www.kiddewireless.com.

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