Fire Or Smoke Alarms

47 YOF C/O SMOKE INHALATION, WOKE UP TO SMOKE ALARM, PT WAS IN AND OUT OF HOUSE TO REMOVE CHILDREN AND ANIMALS DX MILD SMOKE INHALATION FROM HOUSE FIRE

8 YOF C/O SMOKE INHALATION FROM UPSTAIRS HOUSE FIRE, PT WAS DOWNSTAIRS ABLE TO EVACUATE AFTER FIRE ALARM WENT OFF DX MILD SMOKE INHALATION FROM HOUSE FIRE

13 YOM WAS FRYING POTATOES AND SMOKE ALARM WENT OFF, CAUSING HIM TO THROW THE PAN OF HOT OIL AND CAUSING OIL TO BURN HIS RIGHT HAND. +FD. DX: BURN HAND THIRD DEGREE RIGHT.

79YOF P/W SMOKE INHALLATION, PT STATES SHE HEARD THE FIRE ALARM GO OFF AND WALKED DOWNSTAIRS TO FIND THERE WAS SMOKE ON THE FIRST FLOOR, C/O SHORTNESS OF BREATH AND CHEST PAIN, NO FIRE DEPARTMENT, DX:SMOKE INHALATION

50 YOF WAS FOUND IN HER LOW-INCOME HOUSING UNIT WITH THE SMOKE ALARM GOING OFF AND ITEMS BURNING IN THE KITCHEN. FD NS. DX: AGITATION, OTHER PSYCHOTIC DISORDER.

11YOM WAS INVOLVED IN AN APARTMENT FIRE LAST NIGHT. THEIR NEIGHBORS ALARM WOKE THEM UP. HE AND HIS FAMILY SUSTAINED SMOKE INHALATION. REPORTS MILD LEFT FOOT PAIN WHERE HE STRUCK IT ON SOMETHING. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT DID ATTEND. DX: SMOKE INHALATION

12YOM PRESENTS WITH MOM WHO STATES HE WAS INVOLVED IN A HOUSE FIRE LAST NIGHT. THEIR APARTMENT BUILDING CAUGHT FIRE. THE NEIGHBORS ALARM WOKE HIM UP. HE AND HIS FAMILY SUSTAINED SMOKE INHALATION. HE REPORTS MILD LEFT FOOT PAIN FROM WHERE HE STRUCK IT ON SOMETHING. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT ATTENDED. DX: SMOKE INHALATION

57YOM PRESENTS AFTER A SYNCOPAL EPISODE. HE WAS SLEEPING AND THE SMOKE ALARM STARTED GOING OFF IN HIS HOUSE. HE GOT UP TO REMOVE IT FROM THE CEILING. HE STARTED TO BANG IT AGAINST THE WALL AND THEN HE WOKE UP ON THE GROUND. DX: ABRASION OF SCALP

52 YOF WAS IN HER APARTMENT WHEN THE APARTMENT ABOVE HER CAUGHT ON FIRE AND SHE WOKE UP TO FIRE ALARMS. PT ENDORSES SMOKE INHALATION WHILE TRYING TO LEAVE THE APARTMENT. +FD. DX: SMOKE INHALATION, SORE THROAT

16YOM PATIENT WITH HISTORY OF AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDER WHO PRESENTS TO THE EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT AFTER HEAD INJURY. MOM STATES THAT AT APPROXIMATELY 1130 THIS MORNING, THE PATIENT BECAME AGITATED AFTER THE FIRE ALARM WENT OFF AT HIS SCHOOL, LEADING TO HIM HEADBUTTING A STAFF MEMBER WITH HIS FOREHEAD. DX: HEAD INJURY

59 YOF REPORTS FIRE ALARM WAS TRIGGERED, SHE STARTED RUNNING AND FELL. IT WAS A FALSE ALARM. DX: INJURY OF LEFT SHOULDER.

83YOM BIBEMS S/P FIRE-SMOKE INHALATION EARLIER THIS EVENING. PER EMS, PT'S FAMILY NOTICED THAT BUILDING FIRE-ALARM WENT OFF SO THEY WENT INTO HALLWAY AND NOTICED WHITE SMOKE IN THE HALLWAY. PT AND FAMILY THEN PROCEEDED TO GO TO FURTHEST ROOM FROM HALLWAY AND WAITED THERE FOR A FEW MINUTES UNTIL FIREFIGHTERS ARRIVED AND TOLD THEM IT WAS CLEAR TO LEAVE THEIR APT. DX: EXPOSURE TO SMOKE FIRE AND FLAME

Had a pack of 6 First Alert smoke detector professionally installed in our home after we purchased it to update and they have been in now about 8 months. They all went off one day and we didn’t know why and smelt a strong electrical smell and had to call the fire department they couldn’t tell where to smell was coming from or find heat with heat gun. We have had the strong electrical smell in our home and different smoke detectors going off at different times finally started pulling down the smoke detectors and they are all burnt up and could have caught our home on fire if we didn’t find this.

I think it is extremely important that a nation wide warning or alert be issued regarding the replacement of older model smoke alarms that may tie into a sprinkler flow switch (on any home that is equipped with a sprinkler system). Many of these types of alarms switched 120 VAC household current onto the interconnect wire. Modern smoke alarms utilize a 9 volt transistor battery as a backup. This is not a problem for new construction, but anyone contemplating a replacement of an older style smoke alarm should confirm the manufacturer type or model number. One very popular smoke alarm (that is no longer being sold or manufactured) was the Firex 428C. In fact this device was the unit of choice for anyone with a sprinkler system up to three (3) years ago. If you were to replace this unit with a modern [REDACTED] smoke alarm (as an example), wired it up in accordance with the instructions, and the flow switch tripped you would destroy all the interconnected detectors in the home and may even cause a fire. It may also be prudent to issue a warning about ensuring any alarms you do replace are compatible with each other and from the same manufacturer.

We had seven Kidde talking smoke/carbon monoxide detectors (KN-COSM-IB) in our home (manufactured in November 2010), and none of the smoke detectors work. We had a small fire in the kitchen, and none of the detectors triggered or sounded the alarm. It seems that they were/are not working, but we have fresh batteries in them, and when you press the test/reset they beep. But they don't seem to detect smoke or carbon monoxide, and don't seem to work/function properly. We took them back to Home Depot (in Homers Glen) and then took them to Menards (in Homer Glen, IL) and they would not take them back or exchange them (under the recall). We're extremely unhappy that Kidde made smoke/carbon monoxide detectors that don't function or work properly, and the vendors have failed to replace/exchange them.

First Alert brand, Model No P1210, Single Station, Photoelectric, 10 Year Lithium Battery, Smoke Alarm Smoke alarms fail before 10 year life. False alarm sounds. I bought 10 of these items (five 2-packs) from Costco in Mountain View, CA in July-August 2014. I installed the smoke alarms on 8/2/2014. 6 of the 10 smoke alarms have failed as of 9/8/2015.

I had purchased a First Alert 120V AC hardwired smoke & fire alarm (model 9120B) earlier this year. I selected this model because it has a battery backup with an [REDACTED] 9V battery included. The battery was in its swing-out battery compartment. In the User's Manual, it did not instruct how to properly install in the battery. There were no markings on the alarm itself for where the battery's positive terminal should be place. So, I left the battery in the same place in its swing-out battery compartment as it was when I purchased this alarm. I pushed the door closed. Then, I noticed an opening under the swing-out battery compartment where I can see the battery's terminals. They were touching only plastic. I opened the swing-out battery compartment, and noticed that part of the compartment covers one of the battery's terminals. The battery is useless. It does not connect to anything electrical. There are no instructions in the User's Manual on how to install the battery, nor markings on the alarm itself on how to install the battery. Having the battery in the alarm is false security, and in case the hardwiring fails, the alarm will not have any electricity because the battery won't be installed properly. People depending on the battery backup could possibly die in the event of a fire.

As we came home on Saturday evening we heard the fire alarms go off. After several types of attempts at silencing them, they shut off, except one. It chirped every 30s the rest of the night. It was finally disconnected Sunday morning with the help of a neighbor. Our poor cat was certainly in terror over this ordeal. Why didn't Kidde notify the builder that there was a problem with the product. I have heard two other homes in the community with the alarms sounding.

Kidde 10 year smoke alarm Model P3010L is only 1 year old and is going off randomly when there is no smoke. I blew air into it as advised from the manufacturer and this made no difference. It is a fire hazard because it has to be removed in order to sleep.

Note: As the CPSC is aware from my previous complaints on this issue, I am a Deputy Chief on the Boston Fire Dept. I have contacted the St. Charles Fire Dept. and will send them a copy of this complaint. However, since I am not a member of the local fire dept. I am forwarding this as a civilian. There were 4 victims in this fire: [REDACTED] (F-30), [REDACTED] (M-27), [REDACTED] (M-8), & [REDACTED] (F-2). In this fire (see news report below) the victims were trapped by a fire that apparently started near the kitchen. It is likely that this fire produced copious amounts of smoke into the living areas and egress paths before it was heavily flaming. There were multiple smoke alarms, all ionization, installed in this house. Here their locations. • Living Room (Ion alarm - melted on floor, in debris manufacturer unknown – interestingly this was found by insurance investigator similar to complaint I filed with CPSC from Rotterdam NY)) • Common Stairwell (Ion alarm - melted on floor, in debris manufacturer unknown) • Basement (Ion alarm – non operational) • Garage (Ion alarm – First Alert, no battery which would be expected of an alarm located in a garage) • Bedrooms 3 and 4 (Ion alarm - Family Gard melted but with batteries) • Bedroom 2 (No alarm) • Master Bedroom (Kidde 0916 with a battery) In this case all the smoke alarms were ionization. (The CPSC should not be surprised since CPSC estimates that 90% of all alarms are ionization.) In this fire the occupants appear to have been awakened by the smoke alarms. According to the one survivor, [REDACTED], he heard smoke alarms after being awoken by [REDACTED]. It appears that many if not all occupants acted in an altruistic and proper manner but did not have enough time to safely escape. It is highly probable that they did not have enough time because the ionization smoke alarms did not operate in time to provide adequate warning from smoke build-up. The 2 most important alarms were