Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Alarms

1. Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Alarms Jointly sponsored by; AEMA and SCC Friday Feb. 27, 2009 • OVERVIEW: • What is new in residential smoke alarms • Future Code Changes and Codes in other jurisdictions • Children and smoke alarms • Smoke Alarm Statistics • Photoelectric vs. Ionization – The Great Debate • CSA, cUL, and smoke alarms • The characteristics of Carbon Monoxide • Features of Carbon Monoxide Alarms • Negative Air Pressure in residential situations

2. United Technology Corporation United Technologies Corporation (UTC) is a diversified company whose products include Carrier heating and air conditioning, Hamilton Sundstrand aerospace systems and industrial products, Otis elevators and escalators, Pratt & Whitney aircraft engines Chubb Security, and Sikorsky helicopters, to name a few. • 126th largest company in the world • 47th largest employer in the world • over 220,000 employees • 65th largest publicly held manufacturer in the world

3. PART 1: Smoke Alarms • What’s new in residential smoke alarms • Future Code Changes • Codes in other jurisdictions • Children and smoke alarms • Smoke Alarm Statistics • Photoelectric vs. Ionization • CSA, cUL, and smoke alarms

5. Wireless -The Facts… • An interconnected smoke alarm system increases a family’s response time to fire. (NFPA) • Linking battery-powered home smoke alarms with wireless technology could potentially save lives. (CPSC Consumer Product Safety Comm.) • For older homes, wireless technology could link multiple smoke alarms without the high costs of rewiring. (CPSC) • Radio frequency appears to be one of two most promising technologies for linking smoke alarms (CPSC)

6. Wireless Technology U.S. Housing Market Profile 18% 82% Homes that may have interconnected alarms or detectors Homes that do not have interconnected alarms or detectors Nearly 90 million homes do not have interconnected smoke alarms

7. Most homes that need more than one smoke alarm have at least one, but most do not have as many as they need for code compliant protection. NFPA has increased the number of recommended smoke alarms in a home to one in every room (excluding the kitchen/bathroom). When an alarm sounds you have approximately 3 minutes to escape safely. In 21% of home fires, no one was in earshot of the alarm. A single station smoke alarm may not be heard on other floors or in other rooms Since 1989, the NFPA has required smoke alarms to be hardwired and recommend installing interconnected smoke alarms so that if one alarm sounds they all will sound. 4 Out of 5 Homes Do Not Have Interconnected Smoke Alarms • People need to develop and practice escape plans so that if the alarm sounds, they can get out quickly

8. For homes without interconnected hardwire Smoke Alarms (Built before 1990) • Points to Consider; • Closing a door reduces a smoke alarm’s sound level by 10 dBA. • A smoke alarm has a sound level of 85 dBA near the kitchen, but drops to 56.6 dBA in the upstairs master bedroom and 46.5 dBA if the door is closed. • If this alarm was connected to one upstairs, the upstairs alarm would be 76 dBA in master bedroom. • Most adults require at least 75 dBA to wake from sleep.

9. Kidde Wireless Smoke Alarms operate at a frequency band of 434.4 MHz which is dedicated to devices that are not permitted to transmit continuously and are limited in their transmission time unless a life safety alarm occurs, so they will not interfere with other wireless systems in the home. Each alarm has 256 individual identification settings so a homeowner can program their own ID, much like garage door openers. The average home’s distance from one corner of the basement to the opposite corner of the second floor is 100 ft. The range of wireless alarms is approx. 200 feet, but all installations should be tested once installed. The initiating alarm can be determined by the green LED that will flash. The green LED on the smoke alarms that sounded but did not sense the smoke, will not flash.

10. Remote Test Allows you to test any wireless unit from any other unit Smart Hush™ and Remote Hush Allows you to temporarily silence a nuisance alarm Low Battery Hush Postpones the low battery chirp for 12 hours 10 year electronic expiration Ensures that alarms are replaced and upgraded after 10 years of service Additional Features

11. Low Profile – the first radical change in Smoke Alarm design since they were developed • Low Profile Design • Ionization • One button test and Hush™ • Sealed Rechargeable Battery Backup • LED indicates alarm condition • Alarm memory

12. Codes in other Jurisdictions • Smoke Alarms on every level of EXISTING homes – Ontario 2006 (“IT’S THE LAW” Campaign) • Heat Detectors in Garages Manitoba • City of Calgary

13. Fire Marshal urging Ontario fire departments to enforce zero tolerance approach for smoke alarms In March 2006, the Ontario Fire Code was amended torequire smoke alarms on every storey as well as outside all sleeping areas.Since then, the OFM experienced an outpouring of information from fire departments about people who had safely escaped fires due to working smoke alarms, proving smoke alarms can and do work to save lives. Over 70% of deaths occur in homes without working smoke alarms. The amendment to the Fire Code applies to all single family, semi-detached and town homes, whether owner-occupied or rented. For homeowners, tenants and individual landlords, non-compliance with the Fire Code smoke alarm requirements can result in a ticket for $235 or a fine of up to $50,000.

14. Taken from May 2008 article by Mahendra Wijayasinghe in Fire News Thought… If after 15 years the chances are better than 50/50 that the alarm has failed, and we know that getting out the message the smoke alarms have a lifespan of 10 years is difficult, would legislation similar to Ontario’s about requiring an alarm on every level increase the chances of having a working smoke alarm in an occupancy??? Even the exercise of having to install another alarm or two would motivate some people to replace an old one, but even if they don’t, they now have 1 or 2 new alarms!

15. From the same article… That is an awful high percentage!

16. ‘CHECK YOUR ALARMS’: FIRE FAMILY’S MOMBy Tim Whitnell, Burlington Post Staff News Jan 25, 2009 “Despite $150,000 damage to their Isabel Court home of nine years, the LeGrees are counting their blessings as no one was hurt in a Jan. 16 fire that occurred around 1 a. m. The Burlington Fire Department gave the LeGrees a $235 ticket for not having operational smoke alarms. Fire Prevention Officer Ben Rotsma said they could have issued multiple tickets and/or charged the homeowner under the Ontario Fire Code, which can result in fines of up to $50,000 upon conviction. The family had an inspection of the same home done by the fire department about five years and they did not have working smoke alarms then. They were not fined but given some batteries to install in their units. Since March 1, 2006, Ontario law has mandated that a working smoke alarm be installed on every level of a home. Rotsma said the department is likely going to have to change its tactics in dealing with people who don’t abide by that law.” ************** Family charged despite heavy fire loss ! ********************

17. TIME FOR A TACTICAL CHANGESmoke alarms a necessity of life By Shayne Mintz, My View, Fire Chief from Burlington Post Columns Feb 13, 2009 “There are only so many ways you can deliver a message. It is apparent here in Burlington and across the province that the message about the importance of smoke alarms is not getting through. Over recent months it has become evident that dozens of residents did not get the message. We’ve had numerous incidents where smoke alarms were either not working or not installed and residents were fortunate to escape with their lives. In several cases, children were put at risk when smoke alarms had not been maintained by adults who provide them with other necessities of life. For many years, the fire service has approached the public with good intentions, installing free smoke alarms and batteries as a public service. The theory was that the resident would take that gesture as a starting point to continue to maintain these life-saving devices. We were reluctant to hold people accountable for their actions of non-compliance with the thought that a warning would be sufficient. We have learned from experience that this is not the case. Our records show that our crews had been to some of the homes previously during free door-to-door programs but during recent fires, smoke alarms were either missing or found to be disconnected or with dead batteries. The tactics of our fire service have changed. Our objective is to have every home protected with working smoke alarms on every level, and the responsibility to comply rests with the resident or owner. We continue to assist some residents, such as seniors and those with disabilities, with a program that will launch later this month. If you own a home, you must ensure the alarms are installed and maintained on every level. If you rent, the building owner has responsibilities to provide and maintain alarms, but tenants have the responsibility to test the alarms monthly and report any problems to the landlord. Currently, a Burlington Fire Department policy requires crews to check homes for smoke alarm compliance during most emergency responses. In medical responses crews merely leave a brochure at the home for residents to review at another time. If a home is found to be non-compliant, a violation notice is issued on the spot with instructions on what the resident must do to make the home compliant. If the resident cannot make corrections prior to the crew’s departure, a re-inspection will be done within a short time-frame to ensure compliance. Fire prevention staff review all situations where a violation is discovered and determine if a ticket is to be issued or further action such as charges are to be laid against owners or property managers. A ticket carries a set fine of $235, however officials can lay charges which can result in fines of up to $50,000 for an individual or $100,000 for a corporation. This approach is quite a change from what has happened in the past but we learn from our experience, and our experience has been that we need to make everyone accountable for their own safety and the safety of their family.” Shayne Mintz is chief of the Burlington Fire Department.

18. Manitoba’s Code Revision

19. Heat Detectors in Garages SM120X Heat detector can be interconnected with any hardwire Kidde alarms by using a relay. No alarm will sound in garage, but any interconnected alarms in house will alarm.

20. UL Listed Only since the decommissioning of ULC Standard S-539 • Heat alarms (Model HD135F) use a temperature sensitive resistor (Thermistor) to detect changes in the ambient temperature. • The change in resistance results in a change in voltage across the resistor. • The heat alarm electronics detect this change in voltage and sounds the alarm when the temperature exceeds the calibration point of the alarm. • The model HD135F heat alarm is set to alarm at 135 degrees Fahrenheit • Heat alarm are self resetting and will stop alarming when the temperature at the Thermistor drops below 135 degrees. WARNING Heat alarms are NOT categorized as Life Safety Devices, and must be used in conjunction with operating smoke alarms.

22. Upcoming Code Changes in 2010 National Building Code • Smoke Alarm in every bedroom • All Smoke Alarms to have battery backup • Change in Temporal Horn Pattern

27. Children and Smoke Alarms

28. DO NOT assume young children will be woken by smoke alarm activation DO Conduct a home fire drill after children have fallen asleep Home Fires can double in size every 30 seconds Children and Smoke Alarms

29. If you or family member sleep with the bedroom door closed, install smoke alarms inside the bedroom; Not all individuals, particularly children, older people, and those with special needs, may not wake up to the sound of a smoke alarm. You need to take this into consideration when developing an escape plan Tips for Purchasing, Maintaining and Installing Smoke Alarms

30. Smoke alarm efficacy and childrenStill another study has raised the issue that smoke alarms may not be as effective in waking sleeping children as one would hope. In a 1999 Fire Safety Journal article, Bruck found that only 5.6 per cent of children aged 6 to 15 reliably woke up from smoke alarms reaching 60 decibels (considered the normal level of smoke alarms) at their pillow. Comparatively, all the adults in the study reliably awoke from the same alarms. Taken from; Smoke alarms: evaluating effectiveness Written by DAVE NOORDAM with Fire Chief Len Garis   Firefighting in Canada

31. Reality vs. Perception

32. Derrick Ethridge, fire prevention officer for the Loyalist Township Emergency Services in Ontario, Canada, decided to study the issue when children in the schools he visits told him they didn't think they'd hear an alarm if it went off. "They kept telling me, ‘I don't think I'd hear it,' or ‘I sleep with my door closed,' or ‘I don't think I'd wake up,' " he recalls. "I suspected there was a problem just on the basis of what the kids were telling me, and I wanted to find out if that was true.“ With the help of Professor Alistair MacLean of the Queens University Sleep Lab, the Canadian Hearing Society, the Limestone and Algonquin school boards, and the parents of 222 Loyalist Township sixth graders, Ethridge decided to conduct a test. Parents were asked to activate the smoke alarms outside their sleeping children's bedrooms between 9 and 11 p.m. on two separate nights in April 2002 and time how long it took the children to awaken. Tests were conducted once with the door closed and once with it open. The children knew they'd be tested but didn't know when. The team found 31 percent of the children didn't wake up at all when the smoke alarm was activated, and 53 percent didn't react within the first minute. Ethridge later conducted random audibility tests in 22 of the homes. Testing once with the bedroom door open and again with it closed, he found sound levels in some cases dipped as low as 64 decibels.

33. 47% Smoke Alarm present and operated 11% Smoke alarm present –operation could not be determined 21% had no Smoke Alarm 21% Smoke Alarm present –did not operate 36% no battery or power (76% no battery / 24% dead battery) 32% remote/separated from fire 16% undetermined 2% improper installation 2% tampered with (vandalism) 12% other Did you know? SMOKE ALARMS STATS (in Ontario) Since 1996 over 51,708 home fires. Smoke Alarm status: Why?

34. Alberta Smoke Alarm Installation *Please refer to the research article titled, “Making sense of smoke alarm data and home fire deaths,” in the August 2004 issue of Alberta Fire News (pages 16 – 19), for a detailed statistical analysis of home fire deaths in relation to smoke alarms. Alberta Fire News is available at http://www.aema.alberta.ca/ps_alberta_fire_news.cfm Very similar to Ontario’s 42% no S/A or no power to S/A Activation of Smoke Alarms

35. Reasons - Alarms Not Activated Since most of these fires originated in outside areas or structural areas of homes, an adequate amount of smoke did not reach inside the homes to trigger the smoke alarms. Again – very close to Ontario’s 21%. Ont. didn’t measure disconnected AC Fire Facts • In 2006, 39% of homes where fire occurred did not have smoke alarms installed. Lack of power source was the major reason for no alarm activation (27%). • Of the 24 home fire fatalities, 9 (or 38%) occurred in homes with no smoke alarms installed and one (4%) occurred in a home where the smoke alarm did not activate. Of the remaining fatalities, the smoke alarms activated in four and activation is unknown in 10. • Where four fatalities occurred in homes with smoke alarm activation, two were overcome by smoke while attempting to rescue or fight the fire. In the other two fatalities, no action was taken or action was unknown.

36. Major Known Causes of Home Fires - AB * Heating equipment includes furnaces, water heaters, fireplaces, wood stoves, space heaters and associated chimneys/vents. ** An exposure fire is a fire that spreads from one property to an adjacent property.

37. Fire facts • ALBERTA FIRE COMMISSIONER'S STATISTICAL REPORT 2001 15 • Most home fires (23%) and most home fire injuries (36%) were in the kitchen/cooking area. • About 30% of all cooking related fires involved the ignition of cooking oil. These fires accounted for 43% of all cooking related fire injuries. • The highest percentage of deaths occurred where fires started in the kitchen (21%), sleeping areas (21%) and lounge/living room (17%). • Sleeping areas and lounge/living room areas accounted for 10% each of home fires. • Most kitchen fires started on stove/top burners (77%), and these caused 60% of deaths and 71% of injuries in kitchen fires. • Major sources of ignition in living rooms were smoker’s material (22%), electrical wiring/equipment/lamps/bulbs (14%), and candles (13%). • Major sources of ignition in bedrooms were smoker’s material – mostly cigarettes (22%), candles (13%) followed by electrical wiring/equipment/lamps/bulbs (12%). • Exposure from detached structure fire (53%) and exposure from 'open' rubbish/camp fire (11%) were the major sources of ignition where fires started on the exterior wall. Arson or ‘set’ fires accounted for approximately 10% of exterior wall fires. • In court, patio and terrace area fires the main source of ignition was smoker’s material (43%). • Forty-five percent of laundry area fires started in clothes dryers. • In the exterior balcony/porch area, most fires were caused by smoker’s material (43%). • When fire originated in heating equipment rooms the main source of ignition was furnaces (34%). • Fires in exterior balcony/porch areas were primarily from smoker’s materials (37%).

38. According to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), in one out of five homes that have smoke alarms, none of the units work, mainly due to dead, missing or disconnected batteries. Nearly half of the nation's fire deaths occur in the four percent of homes that do not have smoke alarms. (NFPA) The risk of dying in homes without smoke alarms is twice as high as it is in homes that have working smoke alarms. (Consumer Product Safety Commission) Smoke Alarm Facts

39. What is Kidde doing? www.safeathome.ca …reminds Canadians not to make the mistake of putting new batteries into smoke alarms that are more than 10 years old. The majority of Canadians believe smoke alarms last indefinitely, when in fact, the sensors wear out over time. The National Fire Protection Association advises homeowners to replace smoke alarms every 10 years.

40. Playing with Fire: Majority (55%) of Canadians Have Removed Batteries or Tampered With Smoke Alarms Due to False Alarm One-half (54%) of those have forgotten to put batteries back in or re-install Smoke Alarm on ceiling Public Release Date: March 3, 2008 Moving past the simple task of replacing batteries, though, the data reveal that many Canadians seem unaware of the necessity of changing the actual smoke alarm unit and not just the battery. More specifically, four in ten (37%) believe that battery-operated smoke alarms last for as long as their in their house, provided that the batteries are changed regularly, and a similar proportion (35%) thinks that smoke alarms that are wired into their home’s electrical system never need to be replaced. But while three quarters (74%) suggest that pushing the test button on a smoke alarm and hearing a response means that the alarm is working properly and does not need to be replaced, contradictorily, three quarters (77%) agree that smoke alarms should be replaced every ten years, even if they still seem to be working correctly.

41. Photoelectric vs. Ionization Smoke Alarms

42. Fire Data • The fire data shows that the vast majority of fires (94%) are categorized as flaming or fast flaming. Ionization technology may be better at detecting flaming fires which means it may be the technology best capable of detecting 94 % of the fires. • For this reason Ion alarms can be utilized in most other areas of the home. • This data also shows that 26 % of the fire deaths occur in smoldering fires which make up 6 % of the fires. If you are a smoker it would be advisable to include photoelectric smoke alarms as part of the fire protection package. • Experience shows that alarms installed on a ceiling which is common to the kitchen, may be prone to nuisance alarming from cooking. Even if they are more than 20 feet from the cooking appliance.

43. United States Fire Administration:Because both ionization and photoelectric smoke alarms are better at detecting distinctly different yet potentially fatal fires, and because homeowners cannot predict what type of fire might start in a home, the USFA recommends the installation of both ionization and photoelectric or dual sensor alarms. The International Association of Fire Chiefs:Since it cannot be predicted what type of fire will start in a home, it is important that both smoldering and flaming fires are detected as quickly as possible. The best protection is to have both types of smoke alarms installed, or install dual sensing technology smoke alarms that incorporate both ionization/photoelectric sensors. National Fire Protection Association: Smoke alarms using either ionization or photoelectric smoke detection technologies, installed per NFPA 72-2007, are generally providing acceptable response to smoldering fires. More tests are needed regarding photoelectric alarm’s response in flaming scenarios.

44. National Association of State Fire Marshals:Early detection of fires is crucial to escape time, because the time to untenable conditions in residences can be as little as 3 minutes for typical flaming fire scenarios. Both ionization and photoelectric smoke alarm technologies quickly alert occupants in most fire scenarios… To ensure that both smoldering and flaming fires are detected as quickly as possible, the best protection is to have both types of alarms installed, or dual ionization/photoelectric alarms. National Institute of Standards and Technology:Smoke alarms of either the ionization type or the photoelectric type consistently provided time for occupants to escape from most residential fires.… Consistent with prior findings, ionization type alarms provided somewhat better response to flaming fires than photoelectric alarms, and photoelectric alarms provided (often) considerably faster response to smoldering fires than ionization type alarms.... Smoke alarms of either type installed on every level generally provided positive escape times for different fire types and locations. Consumer Product Safety Commission:Because both ionization and photoelectric smoke alarms are better at detecting distinctly different yet potentially fatal fires, and because homeowners cannot predict what type of fire might start in a home, CPSC staff recommends consumers install both ionization and photoelectric type smoke alarms in their home.

45. Underwriters Laboratories (UL): While photoelectric smoke alarms generally respond faster to smoldering smoke conditions and ionization smoke alarms generally respond faster to flaming fire conditions, both types provide adequate protection against fire. Combination smoke alarms featuring both photoelectric and ionization technology are also available at hardware, department and home improvement stores Consumers Union (publisher of Consumer Reports):Consumers Union, the nonprofit publisher of Consumer Reports, recommends you install smoke alarms with two different types of sensors: Ionization sensors ($10 and up) are better at detecting fast, flaming fires. Photoelectric sensors ($15 and up) are better at detecting smoldering fires. Your best bet is to buy dual-sensor alarms ($25 and up), which contain both detector types Home Safety Council:For the best detection and notification protection, install both ionization- and photoelectric-type smoke alarms http://www.firefyi.org/safety/subsection.php?ssid=84

46. Smoke Alarm – PI2000CA 120Volts with Battery Back up Ionization – Better at detecting fast flaming fires – a flaming fire devours combustibles quickly, spreads rapidly and generates considerable heat with little smoke. For Maximum Protection Photoelectric – Better at detecting slow smoldering fires – A smoldering fire generates large amounts of thick, black smoke with little heat and may smolder for hours before bursting into flames.

47. Property Management 0910CA The alarm locks to inhibit tampering with alarm – preventing the removal of batteries from a smoke alarm ensures continuous protection Savings up to $48 The alarm locks to inhibit tampering with alarm – preventing the removal of batteries from a smoke alarm ensures continuous protection Batteries in the alarm cannot be used for anything else Has a Hush Button, to silence alarms due to cooking or other temporary causes in batteries

48. Recent Task Group Report (Ionization vs. Photoelectric) For anyone that is interested in receiving a copy of this report you can email the request to me and I will forward it to you. John Ward National Sales Manager, R&C john.ward@kiddecanada.com

49. CSA cUL and Smoke Alarms • CSA doesn’t have the capabilities of testing smoke alarms, therefore UL does the testing in their labs to the CSA requirements. • Smoke alarms in Canada are set to alarm at 6% obstruction, in the U.S. they are set to alarm at 10% obstruction. I believe Canada is unique for this requirement, because our alarms require a different ASIC then the rest of the world • On combination smoke/CO alarms you will notice both a cUL and CSA sticker. CSA 6.19-01 is the standard for the CO part of the alarm, the cUL standard is for the smoke portion.

50. Standards: Underwriters Laboratory • Underwriters Laboratory (UL) • Tested at UL USA • UL tested to US and Canadian Standards • Tested at UL USA to meet Canadian standards • UL tested to Canadian Standards • Tested at UL USA to meet Canadian standards • UL Canada • Tested at UL Canada to meet Canadian standards