Saving Lives Beyond Sound

COLUMBUS, OH – The Ohio Department of Commerce’s Division of the State Fire Marshal is highlighting the critical role specialized home fire and smoke detection systems play for those who are deaf or hard of hearing, in honor of Deaf Awareness Month.

According to Opportunities for Ohioans with Disabilities, approximately 300,000 people in the state are deaf or heard of hearing. For those individuals, traditional smoke and carbon monoxide alarms that primarily use an audible alert may not be enough to wake them if they are asleep.

But there are alternative devices which feature additional means of alert in the event of a fire are especially important for people who are deaf or hard of hearing.

“The smoke detector listens for the tone of your smoke detectors that are in your house, it listens for the tone which is a T-4 for carbon monoxide,” Chip Roberts, the Services Coordinator with the City of Delaware Fire Department, explained. “It’s a different tone and it’ll send that across a screen so they can read it, it hears it and then it flashes a light, and it shakes the bed.”

These systems can be purchased from major online retailers or, in some cases, are available free of charge from local fire departments through community safety partnerships.

“You can, through grant funding, I believe it’s through the Fire Service, they offer these for free within our communities, at request.” Roberts said. “It has to come through the Fire Chief of your local department and then we would come out and set it up for you and give you some peace of mind.”

The National Fire Protection Association also provides additional resources on smoke and carbon monoxide alarms for people who are deaf or hard of hearing.