BETTER-THAN-EVER SMOKE DETECTORS

During this year’s Fire Prevention Week, the Canada Safety Council and Fire Prevention Canada are reminding all Canadians of the importance of smoke alarms in preventing death and damage by fire. One of the best ways to be vigilant is to upgrade your smoke detector on a regular basis and for that, technology is ready and waiting.

Chances are, the smoke detector in your home looks exactly like the one you had in your house growing up: a clunky white device that bleats an annoying racket every time you use the broiler in your oven or take a shower. But some companies in the U.S. are rejuvenating the smoke detector market with handy innovations that cut back on nuisance alarms.

Most of these systems use state-of-the-art sensors and pre-recorded messages to announce alarms. The Nest Protect alarm, for example, reports to you “Smoke is clearing in the kitchen” or “There’s carbon monoxide in the den.” That’s the kind of alarm that doesn’t drive people to yank out the battery during the morning toast-making and then forget to put it back in. The Nest also monitors air quality in your house and sends alerts to your smartphone.

The Birdi smoke alarm, which is not yet available in Canada, functions in a similar way. In addition to smoke and fire alerts, it lets you know if there’s an alert in your neighbourhood. And if there’s a natural catastrophe on its way, like a tornado or earthquake, the Birdi app will notify you. One of the best things about these newwave alarms? Their sleek lines and discreet looks.