Hearing Health News
The Fire Protection Research Foundation found that the high-pitched signal used by most smoke alarms failed to awaken 43% of individuals with hearing loss. A strobe light alerting device, used by many people with hearing loss, alerted only 27%. A pillow vibrating device alerted 80%. Another disturbing finding was “a high level of misplaced complacency among people who are hard of hearing in terms of their need for specialty alerting devices.”
Low-frequency smoke alarms designed specifically for people with hearing loss became commercially available just a few years ago. The Fire Protection Foundation made the following recommendations for people with hearing loss:
Don’t be complacent!
Test your home smoke alarm. Can you hear it without your hearing aids? Would you be alerted while asleep?
Don’t depend on a strobe light device
These were found to be ineffective alerting devices.
Consider purchasing a different alarm
If you can’t hear your current smoke alarm, consider purchasing a pillow shaker or one of the new low-frequency smoke alarms now available.