Fire safety for people who are deaf or hard of hearing

Smoke alarms save lives. But those who are deaf or hard of hearing cannot depend on the sound of the regular alarm to alert them to a fire. There are now a variety of smoke alarms on the market that combine sound and strobe lights to alert those with limited hearing that there is a fire in the home.

Facts & figures*

	19 of every 20 homes (95%) in the U.S. have at least one smoke alarm.
	More than half of home fire deaths result from fires in the 5% of homes with no smoke alarms.
	Almost half of all fatal fires start at night when people are asleep.

(*From NFPA's U.S. Experience with Smoke Alarms and Other Fire Alarms and national estimates reported to U.S. municipal fire departments based on NFIRS and NFPA survey.) 

Safety Tips

	Consider installing a smoke alarm that uses a flashing light, vibration and/or sound to alert people to a fire emergency. The majority of fatal fires occur when people are sleeping, and because smoke can put people into a deeper sleep, it is important to have the necessary early warning of a fire to ensure that they wake up.
	Be sure that the smoke alarm you buy carries the label of an independent testing laboratory.
	Keep a communications device nearby. If you use a TTY/TTD device, place it close to the bed so that communication with emergency personnel is possible should fire or smoke trap you in your room.