According to a study by the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), an estimated 890 lives could be
saved each year in the United States if all homes had working smoke alarms. First Alert, one of the most
recognized safety brands in America, offers an array of smoke alarms to meet almost any family’s needs.
What Types of Smoke Alarms Are There? Smoke alarms can be found with a variety of
features and added benefits to help maximize home safety, however it is important to know there are two main
types of smoke alarms. They are differentiated by the smoke sensing technology they are constructed with.
These technologies are called ionization and photoelectric smoke sensors and differ by the way they react to a
fire occurrence:
• Ionization technology smoke alarms are generally more sensitive than photoelectric technology
smoke alarms at sensing small particles, which tend to be produced in greater amounts by hot, flaming fires,
that are consuming combustible materials rapidly and may spread quickly. Sources of these fires may include
paper burning in a wastebasket, or a grease fire in the kitchen.
• Photoelectric technology is generally more sensitive than ionization smoke detector technology
at sensing large smoke particles, which tend to be produced in greater amounts by smoldering fires, which may
smolder for hours before bursting into flame. Sources of these fires may include cigarettes burning in couches
or bedding.
For maximum protection, industry experts recommend the use of both types of technology on each level and in
every bedroom of your home. Regardless of what type of smoke alarm you have in your home, First Alert®
recommends replacing smoke alarms every 10 years.
How to Help Reduce Nuisance Alarms According to a survey performed by First Alert®, a
leading manufacturer of smoke alarms, nearly 7 out of 10 Americans have had a smoke detector alarm because of
smoke from cooking. More than 50% of Americans admitted to having silenced a false alarm by removing it from
the wall or taking out the batteries.* It is very important to never deactivate a smoke alarm for any
reason. One way to help reduce the occurrence of a nuisance alarm is to install photoelectric-type smoke
alarms in those areas of the home where they happen. First Alert recommends installing a photoelectric-type smoke alarm in these areas because it is activated by sensing the smoke
from a larger, “smoldering fire” – not, for example, from the smoke particles of burnt toast or a blast
of humidity from a hot shower.
First Alert offers the industry's widest range of photoelectric smoke alarms designed to meet all local and
state fire codes. All of the alarms manufactured by First Alert meet or exceed the performance standards for
smoke alarms set forth by nationally recognized testing laboratories.
Interconnecting Smoke Alarms Industry experts recommend installing interconnected smoke alarms
on every level of your home and in every sleeping area as a part of a comprehensive fire safety program.
Having interconnected alarms in new construction is already a requirement of the National Fire Protection
Association (NFPA) 101 Life Safety Code, as this feature enables all alarms to sound when any individual alarm
detects smoke to help provide an early notification.
There are easy solutions for wirelessly interconnecting smoke alarms in homes that do not have hardwired
alarms installed. First Alert offers a new wireless smoke and carbon monoxide (CO) alarm series providing
homeowners with whole-home safety in fire and CO emergency situations. The new alarm series uses First Alert ONELINK®
Technology, which allows homeowners to create a network of alarms that “talk” to each other with no
wiring required. When one alarm sounds, all alarms respond, providing an immediate warning and giving
everyone in the home a better chance of hearing the alarms and reacting quickly.
Upgrading to a whole-home safety network is easy. Homeowners simply install two or more battery-operated,
First Alert ONELINK alarms in different areas of their homes. Until ONELINK alarms,
having hardwired alarms was the only way to ensure all alarms sounded when one detected smoke or CO.
Smoke Alarm Features For those in need of new smoke alarms, a wide variety of innovative
products are available with an assortment of features to meet different needs. Following are just a few of
the safety and convenience options incorporated into today’s array of high-tech smoke alarms:
• Strobe technology – provides visual alerts for the hearing-impaired.
• Remote-controlled mute – Infrared sensor allows for easy, hands-free silencing and
testing of alarm function with most conventional remote controls.
• Talking Alarms – When programmed correctly, alarms with this feature installed can
verbally warn you of the type and location of the danger.
Smoke alarms are a fundamental component to any household safety plan. They may provide critical time to
find your way to safety in the event of a fire. So take time and do your research to find the types of smoke
alarms that are best suited to help protect you and your family.
*The First Alert survey results are based on the responses of 1,000 adults in the United States who
answered a telephone survey from Jan. 29 through Feb. 1, 2009. Results are accurate to +/-3 percent points
with a 95 percent confidence level and can be generalized to the entire U.S. adult population.
