NFPA Journal - May/June 2017 - 56

Research by Casey Grant

THE FIRE
PROTECTION
RESEARCH
FOUNDATION

Survey Says
WHY WE NEED TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THE USE OF RESIDENTIAL
SMOKE AND CARBON MONOXIDE ALARMS

ne of the most important

without working smoke alarms, includtechnologies in the history
ing 39 percent in homes with no smoke
of modern fire protecalarms at all and 19 percent in homes
tion has been residential
with smoke alarms that did not operate.
smoke and carbon monoxIn recent years, CO-known as a "silent
ide (CO) alarms, but we have very little
killer" because it is a colorless, odorless,
reliable data today on how they are being
poisonous gas-has gained more notoriused, or even what percentage of homes
ety. According to the Centers for Disease
have working alarms. That's because it's
Control and Prevention, unintentional
been a quarter century since researchers
non-fire carbon monoxide poisoning
have surveyed U.S. homes to test smoke
killed an average of 430 people per year
alarms and conduct interviews.
from 1999 to 2010. Even so, no compreWe are overdue to find
This information is critical, because
hensive survey, including the 1992 CPSC
out what the alarm
understanding how smoke and CO
study, has ever been conducted on CO
landscape looks
sensing technologies are being used is
detection and alarm use.
like today to better
crucial for developing and implementThe results of the CPSC's landmark
inform our efforts
ing the most effective policies, codes
smoke
alarm survey (cpsc.gov), pubto promote these
and standards, education programs, and
lished in 1994, suggested that we still
lifesaving devices.
research initiatives. As detection and
have much work to do, making this
alarm technologies continue to advance,
year's update that much more importunderstanding how current devices are
ant. In the study, which was conducted
used will help answer questions about
in 1992, researchers visited 1,000 homes
how to best implement future ones.
to hold in-person interviews with resiThe importance and logistics of collecting this informa- dents about how many and what kind of smoke alarms were
tion was the topic of a meeting I attended in February at installed in their homes, the ways alarms can fail, factors leadthe Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), the same ing to nonworking alarms, and the types of households most
organization that last conducted a smoke alarm survey of likely to have nonworking smoke alarms. They found that only
U.S. households in 1992. This new survey is scheduled to start 66 percent of all households had at least one smoke alarm
late this year and will involve visits to a statistically balanced that worked when tested. One-quarter of households with
sampling of 1,200 residences. This is a big effort, and to do smoke alarms did not have alarms on every level. Roughly 20
it right requires proper planning. Attendees, who included percent of smoke alarms in homes did not have a functioning
fire service members, enforcers, public educators, consumer power source, while 12 percent of households that reported
representatives, technology providers, and others, offered that all their smoke alarms worked had at least one nonworkimportant feedback for refining the plan. As I listened, my ing alarm. We are overdue to find out what the landscape
profound appreciation for the importance of this effort was looks like today to better inform our efforts to promote these
fully confirmed.
lifesaving devices.
Home fires are far and away our biggest threat in terms of
Please make sure to support the upcoming alarm survey if it
how people die in fires each year. According to NFPA's 2016 happens to include your jurisdiction. I believe this information
"Home Structure Fires" report, 74 percent of U.S. structure is imperative as we continue to try and move the needle in
fires between 2010 and 2014 occurred in homes, killing an reducing deaths and injuries due to fire and CO.
average of 2,520 people and injuring 12,720 annually. Roughly
three of every five home fire deaths happened in homes CASEY GRANT is executive director of the Fire Protection Research Foundation.

56 | NFPA JOURNAL * M A Y / J U N E 2 0 1 7

MICHAEL HOEWELER

http://www.cpsc.gov

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of NFPA Journal - May/June 2017