Special smoke alarms can alert hearing-impaired kids
Ulster County is providing special smoke detectors to families who have children with serious hearing impairments.
The units are available as part of the Ulster County Smoke Alarm Installation Initiative, created through a partnership between the county and the New York State Association of Fire Chiefs.
Ulster County Executive Michael Hein said the county has received 15 specialized Silent Call smoke detectors that are available to and installed for free in Ulster County homes in which a hearing-impaired child lives.
“To me, this is a matter of life and death,” Hein said. “I want to make sure no household doesn’t have the equipment necessary to protect a child from smoke and fire.”
Traditional smoke detectors alert people to the presence of smoke by emitting a sound. Silent Call detectors transmit a signal within a 100-foot radius, using vibration to alert the hearing-impaired if a fire occurs.
In a press release announcing the program, Tammy Schaeffer, a Highland resident whose family received two of the specialized detectors, said the devices will provide her with the comfort of knowing her kids will be awakened in the case of a fire.
“This is an amazing program for the community, especially for my children, who are both legally deaf and rely on their cochlear implants but do not wear them at night,” Schaeffer said.
Hein said although the county received 15 devices through the Association of Fire Chiefs, “I will provide the resources to ensure that every family who has a child with significant hearing loss [receives] one of these at no cost.”
Hein said people who interested in having a Silent Call smoke detector installed should call the Ulster County Department of Emergency Management at (845) 331-7000.