Thursday, April 24, 2003
BY NICOLE CHILDS
FOR THE EXPOSITOR
Brantford

   Will you and your children escape a fire? New questions are being raised as concerns mount over the effectiveness of smoke alarms to wake sleeping children.

   “Sometimes they just don’t hear them, they sleep soundly,” said Bob Sproul, a fire prevention officer for the Brantford fire department.

   At other times, children may hear the alarm but won’t respond to it, he said. “If the child is sleeping they may just figure it’s a loud noise, roll over or put their pillow over their head and go back to sleep.”

TIME IS PRECIOUS

   Sproul argues that if young children aren’t exposed to the alarm during the daytime, they won’t recognize it as an alert to danger. “If parents don’t test it, kids won’t hear it and they won’t know what the sound is.”

   When there’s a house fire, people have less then two minutes to get out, he warns. Having to wake a child who doesn’t hear a smoke alarm, can lessen chances of getting out in time.

   Recent studies about the effectiveness of smoke alarms are raising concerns among parents and communities. In one case, an American television news program simulated a fire emergency and showed children sleeping through a smoke alarm.

   Dr. Maden Roy, a Brantford pediatrician, said that younger children are in deep stages for longer hours during the night, which means they are less likely to wake up than adults.

   Every person goes through different stages of sleep during the night, with a mix of light and deep stages. Children aged three to four get the most deep sleep. As someone ages, they get gradually less.

   Roy suggests keeping a smoke alarm close to bedrooms. “The louder it is and nearer it is, the more likely you are to wake up.”

   Bev Gilbert, of the Ontario Fire Marshal’s Office, said he wasn’t surprised by the results or recent studies and he’s happy that the issue is coming out because it creates a venue for public education.

   “I have a 3½ year old and I would never expect her to wake up,” he said, explaining that he can take his daughter out of her car seat and put her to bed and she won’t wake up. He’s also held a loud smoke alarm six niches from her head, which did not wake her.

   Gilbert’s main concern is that parents aren’t discussing home fire escape plans with their children, leaving everyone vulnerable.

   “It’s important for parents to talk with their kids. They are dependant on your for their escape.”

   But Gilbert said that the issue is not limited to children. Elderly people, those with hearing aids, people who have been drinking heavily or on certain medications, and deep sleepers are also at risk.

   Like Sproul, Gilbert points out the lack of time there is to escape a fire.

   “We’ve recreated fatal fires like a fire in a semi (-detached house) where a 5-year-old died. It was found that from the time they heard the smoke alarm they had les than a minute,” Gilbert said.

   “People think they have a lot of time, but we find they have very little. Every second counts.”

   He said that 64 per cent of fires involving fatalities occurred where firefighters had less than fire minutes to respond.

   Gilbert said it’s important to have an escape plan in place and know how each person will react to a smoke alarm at night. If a child or adult is likely not to wake up to the alarm, a person should be assigned to make sure they are awakened. As well, a person prone to sleeping heavily should not be in a bedroom away from the rest of the family.

   “I think that what this says is you can’t afford to have a fire in your house,” Gilbert said.

SAFETY PRACTICES

   He believes the smoke alarm issue brings out all the good fire safety practices that are often forgotten, such as making smokers smoke outside and keeping matches and lighters away from children.

   It also raises the issue of smoke detector placement. While smoke detectors are compulsory in hallways outside all sleeping areas, the question of whether they should be in each room arises.

   “The more smoke alarms you have, the better your chance is of waking up,” said Gilbert.

   Gilbert wants to calm fears by noting that most people wake up to radio alarms so the average person will wake up to smoke detectors.

   “I think it has always been of great concern to me and I’m glad its’ becoming a concern to families.”

Nicole Childs is a Conestoga College student on a work placement at The Expositor.