Study: Most young children sleep through smoke alarms

Would your children awaken at the sound of a smoke alarm? A study in the United Kingdom suggests that answer is “no.”

The results of the study, released earlier this year, come as no surprise to Wichita Fire Department officials, who have seen similar results from other informal tests.

“It is a concern,” said Stuart Bevis, the city’s acting fire marshal, in an email response to questions.

In a trial conducted by researchers at Dundee University, only seven of 34 children woke up when smoke alarms went off. The children participating in the tests ranged in age from 2 to 13.

All seven children who woke up were girls, suggesting boys are especially susceptible to sleeping through smoke alarms. Further investigation has indicated the smoke alarm frequencies are too high to wake most children, the study said.

Studies of smoke alarms using recorded voices of people showed they were more effective, but officials say more research is needed.

The Dundee study reinforces the importance of families developing and practicing their emergency plans in the event of a fire, Bevis said.

“I think parents need to have an understanding of how their children are going to react, or not react, to an alarm and make adjustments to their emergency plan accordingly,” he said.

In most cases, he said, parents of very young children will immediately move to evacuate the kids when the alarms sound. In that scenario, he said, it is “vital” that any alarm will alert the parents.

“If parents feel the alarms will not wake their kids, they should test it with a late-night fire drill,” he said.

Options for louder alarms are available, as well as alarms for hearing impaired residents which incorporate strobes and even bed shakers, Bevis said.

Smoke alarms are now required in homes. Specific requirements have evolved “as some of these issues have come to light,” Bevis said.

It’s no longer enough to have one alarm in the hallway outside the sleeping rooms.

“Now we look for alarms in each sleeping area and we want them interconnected,” Bevis said. “This is key, because now if an alarm in the guest room is triggered, it will sound every alarm in the home.”

That improves the chances someone will be alerted and take appropriate action, he said.

This story was originally published August 7, 2017 at 8:00 AM with the headline "Study: Most young children sleep through smoke alarms."