A small study conducted at the Center for Injury Research and Policy at Columbus Children's Hospital found that the safety devices fail when it comes to children.
So what does work when you want to wake a child up immediately in the middle of the night? According to researchers, the sound of a mother's voice demanding her youngster get up and out of their room.
The results of this study, which included 24 children ages six to 12, reaffirmed past research that indicated smoke alarms don't work for kids.
"Clearly, the strategy that has been tried and true and used for years ... fails miserably for children," said Dr. Gary Smith, one of the co-authors of the report.
The study found that 23 of the 24 kids awoke to the sound of their mother saying "(Child's first name)! (Child's first name)! Wake up! Get out of bed! Leave the room!"
Fourteen kids awoke to the sound of the traditional smoke alarm and one child snoozed through both. Both alarms used a large speaker and sounds measuring 100 decibels, which is about four times louder than normal smoke alarms.
The youngsters who woke up to the voice of their mom did so much faster than those who were roused from their sleep by the beeping - 20 seconds compared to three minutes.
Mother Michelle Mahovlich understands the importance of this study. She and her son barely escaped with their lives when their apartment was consumed by fire four years ago.
"The fire alarm was right here next to his room, and he can't hear it," she said. "God forbid anything that can happen. He sleeps right through it, and I can't believe it because I'm up right away."
Dr. Shelly Weiss specializes in children's sleeping patterns and says kids between the ages of 10 and 12 are in their deepest sleep in the first third of the night.
"Chances are that when an alarm goes off in the early hours of the night that they'll be in this deep sleep," she said.
Weiss says a young child can get stuck between a sleep-wake state, much like sleepwalking, so it's crucial to help guide them out of the house and to have a clear escape plan.
"Anything that will alert him that something's not right; something is wrong, that there's a possibility that there's a fire ... you have to get their attention," she said.
The device that allows a parent to record their voice on the detector is currently only available in the United States, but is coming to Canada.
Here's some information on creating a family fire plan and choosing a smoke alarm:
According to Toronto Fire Services, seven out of 10 fires in Canada happen in the home. Here are some steps you should take to ensure your loved ones will get out alive in the event of an emergency:
Install Smoke Alarms
These safety devices are required by law because they are such an important early warning. Many fires start when people are sleeping.
Smoke alarms should be placed at the top of stairways leading to bedrooms and at the top of the stairs leading to the basement. Every home should have at least one detector on each floor.
Make sure you test your alarm and replace the batteries.
Plan Your Escape
Draw up a floor plan of your home and highlight all possible exits from each room. Plan escape routes and alternate escape routes from each room, especially the bedrooms.
Make sure you practice your plan as this can reduce confusion and chaos in the event of a real fire. Toronto Fire Services recommends running through your drill every six weeks. The best place to start a drill is in a bedroom. Don't rush - make sure everyone knows what they are doing and discuss what happened afterwards.
Make sure to vary your drills. For example, practice one drill for a fire in the attic, and another with a fire in the kitchen. Make sure you practice different routes.
Choose A Meeting Place
Decide on a safe place outside the home where you can call 911 in the event of a fire and your family can meet. The best place to meet is in front of your home.
Information courtesy of Toronto Fire Services.
If There Is A Fire
Courtesy of Toronto Fire Services
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Crawl low under smoke: Heat and smoke rise so the air by the floor is the coolest and clearest. If you encounter smoke or flames while evacuating, stay close to the floor. Get down on your hands and knees and crawl to the nearest safe exit.
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Test every door: Before opening any door, make sure it is safe to do so. Reach up with the back of your hand to touch the door, the door handle, and the space between the door and frame. If any of them feel hot, use your alternate exit. If everything feels cool, brace your shoulder against the door and open it carefully. Be ready to close it quickly if heat or smoke rush in. As you leave, close all doors behind you. Closed doors restrain the deadly speed of smoke and fire!
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If you are trapped: Close doors between you and the fire. Use blankets or towels to cover vents and cracks between floors and doors. Wait at a window and signal for help by using a flashlight or by waving a bright coloured sheet or cloth. If there is a phone in the room, call 9-1-1, and tell them exactly where you are.
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In an apartment: It is important that everyone be able to unlock all locks quickly. Use stairways to leave the building. Don't use an elevator. The heat may activate call buttons and carry you to a fire floor. The elevator may also lose power.
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In a two-storey house: Make sure everyone can unlock all locks and open all windows and doors quickly. Know how to escape safely from the second floor. Make appropriate arrangements for small children and people with special needs.
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Get out fast: Make sure your family knows to leave immediately when they hear a smoke alarm or someone yelling, "Fire!"
Don't try to take possessions or pets. After you are out, call 9-1-1.
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Don't go back, no matter what: Once outside and at the designated meeting place, no one re-enters the burning house. Firefighters are equipped and trained to handle rescue operations and they will let you know when it is safe to go back into the house. Get out and stay out!
Things To Consider When Choosing A Smoke Alarm
Courtesy of London Fire Services
- Be sure the smoke alarms you buy carry the label of an independent testing laboratory such as ULC or CSA.
- Several types of alarms are available. Some run on batteries, others on household electric current. Some detect smoke using an "ionization" sensor, others use a "photoelectric" detection system. All approved smoke alarms, regardless of the type, will offer adequate protection provided they are installed and maintained properly.
- Is One Enough? Every home should have a smoke alarm outside each sleeping area and on every level of the home, including the basement. On floors without bedrooms, alarms should be installed in or near living areas, such as dens, living rooms, or family rooms. Read about new Smoke Alarm Legislation.
- Be sure everyone sleeping in your home can hear your smoke alarms. If any residents are hearing-impaired or sleep with bedroom door closed, install additional alarms inside sleeping areas as well. There are special smoke alarms for the hearing impaired that flash a light in addition to sounding an audible alarm.
- For extra protection, fire departments suggest installing alarms in dining rooms, furnace rooms, utility rooms and hallways. Smoke alarms are not recommended for kitchens, bathrooms or garages - where cooking fumes, steam or exhaust fumes could set off false alarms.
Where to Install
- Because smoke rises, mount alarms high on a wall or on the ceiling, depending on the manufacturers instructions.
- In stairways with no doors at the top or bottom, position smoke alarms anywhere in the path of smoke moving up the stairs. But always position smoke alarms at the bottom of closed stairways, such as those leading to the basement, because dead air trapped near the door at the top of a stairway could prevent smoke from reaching an alarm located at the top.
- Do not install a smoke alarm too near a window, door, or forced-air register where drafts could interfere with the alarm's operation. For the best results, follow the printed instructions that come with the smoke alarm.
Installation
- Most battery-powered smoke alarms and alarms that plug into wall outlets can be installed using only a drill and a screwdriver by following the manufacturer's instructions. Plug-in alarms must have restraining devices so they cannot be unplugged by accident. Alarms can also be hard-wired into a building's electrical system. Hard-wired alarms should be installed by a qualified electrician. Never connect a smoke alarm to a circuit that can be turned off by a wall switch.
False Alarms
- Cooking vapours and steam sometimes set off a smoke alarm. To correct this, try moving the alarm away from the kitchen or bathroom or install an exhaust fan. Cleaning your alarm regularly, according to the manufacturer's instructions, may also help. There are also alarms available that have hush buttons that will silence them for a short period of time as cooking or a shower takes place.
If "nuisance alarms" persist, do not disable the alarm. Replace it!
Maintenance
- Only a functioning smoke alarm can protect you.
- Never disable an alarm by borrowing its battery for another use.
- Following the manufacturer's instructions, test all your smoke alarms monthly and install new batteries at least once a year. A good reminder is when you change your clocks in the spring or fall: change your clock, change your battery.
- Clean your smoke alarms using a vacuum cleaner without removing the alarm's cover.
- Never paint a smoke alarm.
- Smoke alarms do not last forever. Replace any smoke alarm that is more than 10 years old.