Smoke Detectors: Reducing Deaths and Injuries Due to Fire

The United States leads all nations in the incidence of deaths due to fire. In the past two decades significant technologic advances have resulted in the development of inexpensive and reliable smoke detectors. These detectors can provide early warning to allow sleeping residents easy exist when a fire ocfurs in the house. Currently, there are three major types of early warning devices: heat detectors, photoelectric smoke detectors, and ionization smoke detectors. Heat detectors sound an alarm in response to rapid increases in temperature and/or ambient temperatures above 135 F. Photoelectric smoke detectors are particularly effective for smoldering fires, because they are less influenced by the smaller particles of combustion emitted during household cooking or from automobile exhaust than are ionization smoke detectors. The ionization smoke detectors respond more quickly than photoelectric smoke detectors to fast burning fires and have been proved effective in sounding an early alarm in the vast majority of home fires. For best all-around fire protection, a home should have more than one type of detector. Detectors should be located on the ceiling or high on the ceiling of every level of the house close to each bedroom. Properly installed and maintained smoke detectors can reduce the tragic consequences of home fires, but even greater gains can be made by combining these early warning systems with a reduction in home fire hazards and in practicing a well planned fire escape route.