Warning: Your smoke alarm may not detect smoke
On July 19, 2010, the Albany City Council adopted Ordinance 2010-06 requiring all new and renovated homes, including all apartment units, to install Photoelectric “Only” smoke alarms. Currently there is great confusion regarding the topic of smoke alarms. There are currently two type of smoke alarms used to protect residents in the event of a fire; photoelectric and ionization smoke alarms. Both respond differently to smoke and flame. The fact is; ionization smoke alarms react poorly (at times never respond) to deadly smoke but slightly faster to flames while photoelectric alarms react much faster to smoke. Ionization alarms are present in over 95% of homes in America and have a high failure rate when it comes to detecting smoke. The problem is; most deadly fires are smoldering fires and not fast flaming fires. By now, most people understand it is the deadly smoke and heat that kills you long before the flames even reach you. If a fire is in a “flaming state”, it is usually much too late. Ionization alarms should labeled flame alarms and not smoke alarms. An example of a fast flaming fire would be a kitchen fire which is one of the leading causes of residential fires but rarely do they claim lives. I implore you to watch the videos on AlbanyPAC.org to review side-by-side test of the two alarms.
Arguably a greater problem with the ionization alarm is the number of false alarms it renders; thus leading to residents disconnecting the alarm all together. I must include an interesting story – a couple of years ago, I installed a combination ionization/photoelectric smoke alarm in my living room. Because my home is not large, the house is heated by a wood burning stove. After numerous false alarms (initiated by the invisible smoke similar to cooking vapors) started by my stove, I gave up using the hush button and disconnected the battery; and remained disconnected until I went to bed. Finally after one season I replaced the combination alarm with a new photoelectric “only” alarm in my living room (and bedrooms). Do I need to tell you the results? Not one false alarm. So, my point is; how many residents (worldwide) give up and just permanently disconnect the ionization and combination alarms and expose themselves to a potential lethal smoldering fire? There have been many fire deaths worldwide with working smoke alarms present but failed to detect smoke.
Sincerely,
Marc McGinn
Albany Fire Chief
Extracted 04 September, 2010 from the City of Albany’s website
P.S. I fervently urge you to immediately replace your current ionization alarms that incessantly false alarm and do not detect lethal smoldering smoke with photoelectric “only” smoke alarms. I welcome your personal phone call at 510.528.5773. Your safety is my priority! For further information please visit www.theWFSF.org.
Please take the time to review the following videos:
Video 1 | Video 2 | Video 3 | Video 4 (University of Cincinnati presentation)
Former Fire Chief Marc McGinn
Albany Fire Department, California, USA
“How many firefighter lives would be saved through
early detection by utilizing photoelectric alarms/detectors?”
Closing Statement from First Reading of Albany City Council Smoke Alarm Ordinance, 2010-06 | 6 July, 2010
“Chronicle reporter Kevin
Fagan says most homes in
the Bay Area and the rest of
the country don’t have the
the right kind of smoke
alarms and it’s costing lives.”
Click Play to Listen
The NFPA Journal
Chief McGinn’s Message
May/June, 2010
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