DeTech Fire Alarms Fill Most Important Niche

For many years, there has been a large void in home fire protection that has now been filled with the advent of DeTech fire alarms.  Let me begin by explaining that most homeowners do not even know there is a void, because they are not usually informed or aware that there is anything wrong with the over-the-counter smoke alarms or with the alarms the builders installed.

 

Most over-the-counter alarms available and most builder-installed smoke alarms use a proven outdated (but cheap) technology called ionization.  This has proven to have about a 50% chance that it will even work in a smoldering fire situation, not to mention they have a short life expectancy of 2-5 years, with a maximum of 10 years.  They also are prone to false alarms, causing homeowners to disconnect them or remove the batteries.  DeTech fire alarms use the modern optical technology that lasts much longer and gives an earlier warning to fire.

 

As for the void; there has always been the above described models that are readily available and cheap.  The other end of the spectrum includes sprinkler systems and wired-in, monitored systems.  Sprinklers can run the homeowner anywhere from $5-10,000 to get installed, requires maintenance that most homeowners won’t do and this system still requires smoke detectors to pass codes.  For years, this has been an option only for the wealthy.

 

Another system that tries to be in the middle, but is really on the upper end is the wired-in monitored systems.  The model most companies use here is a small installation fee, ranging from $300 to $2500, depending on the extent of the protection desired…but then they tag you with a $30-50 per month monitoring fee, making the lifetime cost of such protection very expensive.

 

Don’t misunderstand what this article is saying, as when it comes to your family’s protection from the devastation of fire, the most important thing should NOT be the price.  What is most important is does it work!  Only then can price be a factor.

 

Here is where DeTech fire alarms come in strong.  They give the homeowner an affordable choice and many options to allow the homeowner to customize their protection and not waste money on features not desired.  DeTech fire alarms have the most impressive record of no known deaths or injuries in a home protection with their system and the long-term costs are actually not much more than the over-the-counter models.  Even the monitored DeTech fire alarms are only half to a third the cost of the competition. 

 

If you are serious about fire protection and want to watch your budget at the same time, then you must consider DeTech fire alarms.  They give you the protection you want and deserve at a price that every family can afford. They filled a fire protection void and appear to be the logical choice if you want real value.

Rossen Reports: Popular smoke alarms may go off too late, experts warn

By Jeff Rossen and Avni Patel

TODAY

updated 10/3/2012 7:46:30 AM ET2012-10-03T11:46:30

Startling claims that popular kinds of smoke detectors may not protect your family in a fire: TODAY National Investigative Correspondent Jeff Rossen repor.

When you buy a smoke detector, you assume it will sound quickly in a fire, giving you plenty of time to escape. But some experts warn that's not always true. In fact, we found that the most common type of smoke detector — the kind you probably have in your house right now — may not go off in time, even when surrounded by thick, toxic smoke, giving little warning to get your family out.

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Amanda Debuty awoke to a house full of smoke, her children trapped upstairs. “As I'm trying to get upstairs, my first thought is the four people that I have upstairs, that they’re not scared, that they’re safe,” she said tearfully.

Tragically, the kids didn't make it. Cause of death: Smoke inhalation. So why didn't they have more warning? After all, Amanda said, the house had working smoke detectors.

“We put fresh batteries in the smoke detectors, we pushed the test button, so I knew they worked,” Amanda said. “And then when it was time, they never went off.”

Amanda said she had the common type of smoke detector, used in 90 percent of homes: inexpensive, easy-to-find alarms that rely on “ionization” technology. They work well to detect fires with fast flames. But experts say some of the most deadly fires are the smoldering, smoky kind that can fill your home with toxic gases while you sleep.

 

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In those fires, experts say, ionization alarms don't work well, going off way too late — or not at all. “And that means the individuals could have a fire in their home and never receive a warning,” said Dr. Don Russell, an engineering professor at Texas A&M who’s run hundreds of tests.

Dr. Russell says that while it is “reasonable” for a consumer to assume that a smoke detector will sound when there's smoke, it’s a wrong assumption to make. “It's very scary and that's why people die every year because of this problem.” His findings are a bombshell in the industry — that the most popular smoke detectors may not help you in a fire.

An alarming testWe had Dr. Russell set up a test at the Texas A&M Engineering Extension Service. First he placed three ionization detectors, the kind most of us have, in a room with a couch. Next, firefighters set a slow, smoldering fire, using a soldering iron.

Firefighters say every minutes counts to get your family out, so you want the earliest warning possible. But in our test, the room filled up with smoke and the smoke detectors still hadn't gone off after 30 minutes.

Finally, at 36 minutes, one of the three detectors sounded. Minutes later, the other two went off — just as the couch was about to erupt in flames. “It's way too late, it's too dangerous," Dr. Russell said. "You couldn't get out of that room reliably."
 

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Remember, this was the type of smoke detector most of us have. But there's another technology out there that experts say gives you better warning in those fires. It's called a photoelectric detector, and even government tests show it goes off much sooner in smoky fires.

Dr. Russell set up another test — this time with a photoelectric next to those three ionization detectors.

Seventeen minutes in, with barely any smoke in the room, the photoelectric sounded the alarm. “Photoelectric is telling us you've got a fire, get up, solve the problem, get out of the house,” Dr. Russell said.

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“And what are the ionization detectors telling us?” we asked. “They're asleep.”

Meanwhile, toxic smoke overtook the room. In fact, it took another 21 minutes before any ionization detectors went off.

The seasoned firefighters who observed the test were shocked. “All I could think about is my own family — my own family and my kids trying to get out in that, and if I would've relied on ionization, my family probably wouldn't make it out,” said Houston firefighter Brian Lien. “With the photoelectric they would've had plenty of time to get out.”

While the leading smoke detector companies do make photoelectric alarms, they still sell most of their products without the technology.

“I believe it’s a business decision,” Dr. Russell said, citing the fact that photoelectric alarms are more costly to make than ionization alarms.

Why you need DeTech Fire Alarms

New Learn Not to Burn® program free on the web

Learn Not to Burn Level 1/Grade 1

Learn Not to Burn Level 1 is designed to be used with grade 1 students. It presents six fire safety messages using classroom lessons, activities, videos and home connections. It can be taught as a stand-alone fire safety unit or easily integrated in language arts core curriculum lessons. The fire department can be invited to the classroom throughout the program to support the fire safety messages taught. Learn Not to Burn Level 1 is an easy to use flexible guide for teachers to respond to the needs of the classroom. Make time for fire safety education in your classroom.
Download the full set of six lesson plans (PDF, 18.9 MB) or download individual lesson plans below.
Videos coming soon!

Lesson 1: Smoke Alarms are Important
Children learn to identify the sound of a smoke alarm and respond to it.
Lesson 2: Get Outside, Stay Outside
Children develop a home fire escape plan and meeting place.

Lesson 3: Report an Emergency
Children learn an emergency phone number and how to report an emergency.

Lesson 4: Stay Away from Hot Things
Children identify objects that are hot and how to be safe with them.

Lesson 5: Fire Drills at School
Children practice a fire drill and identify an outside meeting place.

Lesson 6: Know When to Stop, Drop and Roll
Children learn when to practice the stop, drop and roll technique.

Knowledge Test
A helpful pre- and post-test of student knowledge which can be administered in one or several sittings.
Download the Knowledge Test & Score Summary Sheet (PDF, 4.91 MB)

Full Story as to why you need DeTech Fire Alarms

Every day Americans experience the horror of fire but most people don't understand fire.

Fire is FAST!
There is little time! In less than 30 seconds a small flame can get completely out of control and turn into a major fire. It only takes minutes for thick black smoke to fill a house or for it to be engulfed in flames. Most deadly fires occur in the home when people are asleep. If you wake up to a fire, you won't have time to grab valuables because fire spreads too quickly and the smoke is too thick. There is only time to escape.

Fire is HOT!
Heat is more threatening than flames. A fire's heat alone can kill. Room temperatures in a fire can be 100 degrees at floor level and rise to 600 degrees at eye level. Inhaling this super-hot air will scorch your lungs. This heat can melt clothes to your skin. In five minutes, a room can get so hot that everything in it ignites at once: this is called flashover.

Fire is DARK!
Fire isn't bright, it's pitch black. Fire starts bright, but quickly produces black smoke and complete darkness. If you wake up to a fire you may be blinded, disoriented and unable to find your way around the home you've lived in for years.

Fire is DEADLY!
Smoke and toxic gases kill more people than flames do. Fire uses up the oxygen you need and produces smoke and poisonous gases that kill. Breathing even small amounts of smoke and toxic gases can make you drowsy, disoriented and short of breath. The odorless, colorless fumes can lull you into a deep sleep before the flames reach your door. You may not wake up in time to escape.
Only when we know the true nature of fire can we prepare our families and ourselves.

Full Story and why you need DeTech fire alarms

Fast facts about fire

Home Fires

• One home structure fire was reported every 85 seconds in 2010.
• Most fatal fires kill one or two people. In 2010, 19 home fires killed five or more people. These 19 fires resulted in 101 deaths.
• In 2010, U.S. fire departments responded to 369,500 home structure fires. These fires caused 13,350 civilian injuries, 2,640 civilian deaths, and $6.9 billion in direct damage.

Escape Planning

• According to an NFPA survey, only one-third of Americans have both developed and practiced a home fire escape plan.
• Almost three-quarters of Americans do have an escape plan; however, less than half actually practiced it.
• One-third of Americans households who made and estimate they thought they would have at least 6 minutes before a fire in their home would become life threatening. The time available is often less. And only 8% said their first thought on hearing a smoke alarm would be to get out!
  Smoke Alarms
• Almost two-thirds (62%) of reported home fire deaths resulted from fires in homes with no smoke alarms or no working smoke alarms.
• Working smoke alarms cut the risk of dying in reported home fires in half.
• In fires considered large enough to activate the smoke alarm, hardwired alarms operated 92% of the time, while battery powered alarms operated only 77% of the time.

Cooking

• Cooking has been the leading cause of reported home fires and home fire injuries since 1990. Unattended cooking was by far the leading cause of these fires; Two-thirds of home cooking fires began with ignition of cooking materials, including food, cooking oil, fat, or grease .
• Cooking caused two of every five (42%) of reported home fires, roughly one of every seven (15% ) home fire deaths, and two of every five (37% ) home fire injuries, and 11% of direct property damage from home fires in 2010.
• Ranges accounted for the 58% of home cooking fire incidents. Ovens accounted for 16%.
• Children under five face a higher risk of non-fire burns associated with cooking than being burned in a cooking fire.
• 90% of burns associated with cooking equipment resulted from contact with hot equipment or some other non-fire source.

Heating

• Heating equipment was the leading cause of reported home fires in the 1980s and has generally ranked second since them. It is the second leading cause of home fire deaths. Fires involving heating equipment peak in December, January and February, as do deaths from these fires.
• The leading factor contributing to heating equipment fires was failure to clean, principally creosote from solid fueled heating equipment, primarily chimneys.
• Portable or fixed space heaters, including wood stoves, were involved in one-third (32%) of home heating fires and four out of five (79%) home heating deaths.
• Half of home heating fire deaths resulted from fires caused by heating equipment too close to things that can burn, such as upholstered furniture, clothing, mattresses or bedding.

Smoking Materials

• In 2010, smoking materials started and estimated 17,500 home structure fires, resulting in 540 deaths, 1,320 injuries and $535 million in direct property damage. Smoking materials are the leading cause of home fire deaths.
• Sleep was a factor in two of every five home smoking material fire deaths. Possible alcohol impairment was reported in one quarter of these deaths.
• In recent years, Canada and the United States have required that all cigarettes sold must be “fire safe,” that is have reduced ignition strength and less likely to start fires.

Electrical

• Half (49%) of home electrical fires involved electrical distribution or lighting equipment. Other leading types of equipment were washer or dryer, fan, portable or stationary space heater, air conditioning equipment, water heater and range.
• In 2010, electrical failures or malfunctions were factors in an estimated 46,500 home structure fires resulting in 420 deaths, 1,520 injuries and $1.5 billion in property damage.

Candles

• On average, there are 35 home candle fires reported per day.
• More than one-third of these fires started in the bedroom.
• More than half of all candle fires start when things that can burn are too close to the candle.
• In 2010, candles caused 3% of home fires, 4% of home fire deaths, 6% of home fire injuries and 5% of direct property damage from home fires.

Full Story and why you need DeTech fire alarms

The reality is that when fire strikes, your home could be engulfed in smoke and flames in just a few minutes.

It is important to have a home fire escape plan that prepares your family to think fast and get out quickly when the smoke alarm sounds. What if your first escape route is blocked by smoke or flames? That's why having two ways out is such a key part of your plan. This year’s theme,“Have 2 Ways Out!”, focuses on the importance of fire escape planning and practice.

NFPA

The U.S. fire problem

U.S. home structure fires

In 2011, U.S. fire departments responded to 370,000 home structure¹ fires. These fires caused 13,910 civilian injuries, 2,520 civilian deaths, $6.9 billion in direct damage.

• Fact sheet: home structure fires in the U.S. (PDF, 51 KB)

  92% of all civilian structure fire deaths resulted from home structure fires.
• Cooking is the leading cause of home structure fires and home fire injuries.
• Kitchens are the leading area of origin for home structure fires (42%) and civilian home fire injuries (37%).
• Only 4% of home fires started in the living room, family room, or den; these fires caused 24% of home fire deaths.
• Seven percent of reported home fires started in the bedroom. These fires caused 25% of home fire deaths, 20% of home fire injuries, and 14% of the direct property damage.
• Smoking is a leading cause of civilian home fire deaths.
• Home structure fires peak around dinner hours between 5:00 and 8:00 pm.
• Almost two-thirds (62%) of reported home fire deaths resulted from fires in homes with no smoke alarms or no working smoke alarms.
• Most fatal fires kill one or two people. In 2011, 12 home fires killed five or more people. These 12 fires resulted in 67 deaths.

Full Story and why you need DeTech fire alarms

This loss of life doesn't have to happen, there is a solution, DeTech fire alarms.