October is National Fire Prevention Month, which is a great reminder to stay up on the latest fire safety tips and technology. Three out of five home fire deaths occur from fires in homes with no smoke alarms or non-working smoke alarms, according to the National Fire Protection Agency (NFPA). Now there are products out there that make fire safety easier and more efficient than ever.
10-Year, Lithium Ion-Powered Alarms
If a smoke alarm fails to operate, it’s likely because batteries are missing, disconnected or dead, according to the NFPA, and brands like Kidde are working to make that a non-issue. New alarms equipped with lithium ion battery technology never need a change of batteries. At the end of their 10-year lives, you replace them with a new device. One example is this Kidde Worry Free combination alarm with voice warning, which detects both smoke and carbon monoxide and comes with voice alerts. These 10-year lithium ion alarms save about $40 in battery costs.
Specialized Functionality
Many fire safety devices are now designed with room-specific features, so each room or area of a home can an alarm best suited for the layout, environment and fire risks.
- Bedroom: a study conducted by the NFPA shows half of home fire deaths result from fires reported between 11 p.m. and 7 a.m. – when most people are asleep. Bedroom smoke and carbon monoxide alarms should have voice alerts as an extra way to wake someone up in the event of a potential threat.
- Living room: the best option here is a photoelectric alarm that monitors for slow, smoldering fires – given the type of fire most likely to occur in this environment.
- Hallways: alarms placed here should come with LED lights to illuminate the escape path and help ensure a safe exit from the home in case of an emergency.
- Kitchen: a combination smoke and carbon monoxide alarm is key for the kitchen. These sensors communicate with one another to reduce “nuisance alarms” that can be caused by smoke from cooking.
Advanced Technology
More and more devices are coming equipped with WiFi capabilities, which opens the door to myriad of new features and functionality. Many of these “connected” devices, like Nest Protect, detect smoke or carbon monoxide and use WiFi to alert you via mobile device. This particular alarm can also be tested or hushed remotely with a mobile device. Other devices, like the Kidde RemoteLync Home Monitoring Device, work with your existing alarms. Plug this device into a wall outlet, and it listens for the alarm tones associated with smoke and with carbon monoxide. When an alarm goes off, RemoteLync sends out an alert to whatever mobile device has been synced to it.
Help increase safety, minimize risk and contribute to overall peace of mind by updating and replacing dated fire safety equipment and devices. The Home Depot’s Pro Direct program enables remodelers to buy fire safety products at quantity – leading to significant savings. The program is available all the time – not only during Fire Safety Month – and includes brands like Kidde, GenTex and USI. Other benefits include direct to jobsite delivery within 48 hours and a tiered pricing structure, which means the more you buy, the more you save.
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