March 9, 2010 – At 2 am Sunday, March 14, fire departments everywhere remind the public to change their smoke alarm batteries when they change their clocks. But at odds with this important twice-annual ritual, is the deadly habit of smoke alarm tampering.
Leading smoke and CO alarm manufacturer, Kidde Canada, continually innovates new safeguards designed to help Canadian’s help themselves.
More than one-half of all Canadians admit to tampering with smoke alarms, the fire service term for removing batteries from an alarm, or removing it from the ceiling, to silence a false alarm. It’s a deadly behaviour. Nearly two-thirds of fatal fires in the country involve homes where smoke alarms have been found to have been removed or have no battery.
Carol Heller, a fire safety expert with Kidde Canada says, “The Hush button has become the new voluntary minimum standard for smoke alarms, with almost every retailer in Canada discontinuing alarms without this feature. Kidde Canada has made the Hush button standard on every alarm it manufactures. It’s simply the right thing to do.”
A “Hush” button allows people to silence a false alarm without tampering with it. A homeowner can either push the “Hush” button on the alarm itself or, thanks to a recent innovation, use a hand-held remote control that activates the Hush cycle wirelessly from a distance. This feature also makes it easier for seniors and people with restricted mobility to deal with false alarms and to perform the manufacturer-recommended weekly smoke alarm test.
Another smoke alarm innovation gaining popularity is a 10-year tamper proof alarm. The alarm features a 10-year sealed Lithium battery with no replacement required over the 10-year lifespan of the alarm. The sealed alarm inhibits battery removal. It is becoming a favourite of landlords who want to ensure long-term tenant safety without the annual need to refresh batteries, and, for homeowners with high ceilings.
A National Fire Safety Poll conducted recently by the Canadian Association of Fire Chief and Kidde, found 55 per cent of Canadians surveyed admitted that they had removed the battery from a smoke alarm to deal with a false alarm situation, or to use the battery for another device such as a TV remote control. Half of those individuals went on to acknowledge that they also forgot to re-install the battery, leaving them at serious risk should a fire break out.
Recommended Locations for Smoke Alarms
- Locate the primary alarm in the immediate area of bedrooms, as they are usually farthest from the exit. If more than one sleeping area exists, locate additional alarms in each sleeping area.
- Locate additional alarms to monitor stairway as they act as pathways for smoke and heat
- Locate at least one alarm on every floor
- Locate an alarm in every bedroom if you sleep with doors closed
- Smoke and heat rise to the ceiling and spread horizontally. Mounting the smoke alarm in the center of the ceiling, away from corners or windows and doors, places it closest to all points in the room. Ceiling mounting is preferred.
Smoke Alarm Locations to Avoid
- The garage. Products of combustion are present when you start your automobile.
- Areas where the temperature is colder than 4.4°C (40°F) or hotter than 37.8°C (100°F), such as garages and unfinished attics.
- In very humid areas. Moisture or steam can cause nuisance alarms.
- Near fluorescent lights, amateur radios, electrical equipment or other devices known to transmit an RF signal. Electronic “noise” may cause nuisance alarms.
Heller emphasizes special care relating to the installation of carbon monoxide alarms. “Many people believe CO rises to the ceiling just as smoke from a fire does. This is untrue. Carbon monoxide mixes with air and so CO alarms may be installed at floor level or on the ceiling in the case of combination smoke/CO alarms. One per floor is recommended, at a minimum outside sleeping areas.”
An excellent resource for safety tips is
safeathome.ca where the issues of alarm replacement, maintenance and Escape Plans can be explored.
Kidde Canada
As the world's largest fire safety manufacturer, Kidde's mission is to provide solutions that protect people and property from the effects of fire and its related hazards. For 90 years, Kidde's residential and commercial division has offered superior fire safety technology in its smoke alarms, carbon monoxide alarms, fire extinguishers and other life-safety products. With its Canadian headquarters in Vaughan, Ontario, Kidde Canada is part of UTC Fire & Security, a division of United Technologies Corporation. (NYSE:UTX). For more information, visit
kiddecanada.ca.
