What Smoke Alarms Work Best for People with Hearing Loss?

Posted on by South Valley Ear Nose & Throat - West Jordan

The risk of dying in a home structure fire is 55% higher in homes with no working smoke alarms, reports the National Fire Protection Association.

Most people will wake up to the sound of a blaring smoke alarm. But if you have high-frequency hearing loss, you might not. In fact, people with hearing loss are among those at the highest risk of being harmed by fire.

Fortunately, you can invest in smoke alarms that are effective for people with hearing loss. We review how these systems work below.

Smoke Alarm Options

Senior woman with a hearing aid behind the ear communicates with her daughter and granddaughter via video communication via a smartphone. Full human life with hearing aids

Some alternative types of smoke alarms include:

  • Flashing light alarms. Instead of relying on sound, the flash from these lighted alarms provides a visual cue that there’s danger in your home. Make sure to get one with a high intensity for your bedroom so that it can wake you if you’re asleep.
  • Vibration alarms. For heavy sleepers, a lighted alarm might not be enough. There are alarms that vibrate your pillow or your whole bed to wake you up when there’s a fire or other emergency.
  • Interconnected alarms. For those with severe to profound hearing loss, you may want to invest in an interconnected alarm, which means when one alarm goes off, they all go off. You’ll be alerted by lights, vibrations and sounds all at the same time.

What to Look for in an Alarm

Some considerations of what to look for in an alarm include:

  • Invest in a reputable company. Look for alarms that are labeled with a well-known testing laboratory, like UL. Brands such as BRK Electronics, Gentex Corporation, Kidde Fire Safety and Menards, Inc. are reputable.
  • Get more than one. If you have a multi-level home, you need at least one alarm on each floor, as well as one in every bedroom.
  • Test them regularly. An alarm that doesn’t work or that has a dead battery is useless. Be sure to test your alarms regularly.

You can talk to your audiologist or West Jordan Fire Department to ask what alarm system they recommend for your unique needs. For more information or to schedule an appointment, call South Valley Ear Nose & Throat – West Jordan today.