Why do deaf people need a specific fire alarm?
A deaf fire alarm is deisgned to alert the hard of hearing when there is a fire or similar emergency. Trusted fire alarms for deaf people include brands such as Deafgard or Agrippa.
Obviously, if your hearing is intact, you will have never thought about the potential struggle of a deaf person in the case of a fire. Subsequently, if you’re deaf, you might already know that standard fire alarms aren’t typically designed with you in mind.
In fact, for hearing impaired people there are deaf fire alarm devices you can easily install in your home which will work for you. In this article we highlight some options that will give you peace of mind. We’ll look at how to choose the right fire alarm for your situation and what features it should have.
Fire Alarms For The Deaf
The good news is that there are now options when searching for a ‘deaf fire alarm’ or “fire alarms for deaf people’. These devices offer visual (light source) or vibrating alerts so that people who cannot hear can still be warned of a trigger alarm. They are easy to install on any wall or ceiling and come with everything you need to set them up right away.
Vibrating Pillow Alarms For The Deaf
Safety is the most important thing to be considered in any situation, whether at home or in a commercial setting.
If you are responsibile for fire safety in a hospitality setting such as a hotel or AirBnB, you will need to consider how you are going to alert deaf or hard of hearing guests to an alarm trigger.
What is a vibrating pillow alart?
Vibrating pillow alarms are used in conjunction with regular fire alarm systems to wake individuals who are hard of hearing when the noise from smoke detectors would not be enough.
A vibrating pillow unit is a device that allows you to be alerted by vibrations instead of sound. It’s designed for people who have hearing problems and it can also be used as an alternative way to alert deaf people in case of fire or smoke alarm activation. Works like a vibrating alarm clock and is placed under your pillow. When the sound detector goes off, it will shake the pillow gently to wake you up.
These vibration pillow units are portable and alert the user of a fire by vibrating and strobing a flashing light. There are many brands including Deafgard, Agrippa, C-TEC and FireAngel.
Who Are Fireco?
Fireco manufacture simple and trustworthy solutions to help you with fire safety, compliance management, hygiene control and emergency alerts.
The Deafgard Vibrating Pillow Unit
The Deafgard deaf fire alarm provides system alerts to the deaf and hard-of-hearing people to the sound of an alarm when they are asleep so that they can get out safely in case of fire.
Deafgard is a wireless device that connects to home fire alarms and wakes those who are deaf or hard of hearing when there’s danger. It’s a simple solution that can save lives. Deafgard ensures you comply with elements of the Equality Act 2010.
Sound pressure levels of alarm signals should be at least 75dB(A) within rooms in which the fire alarm system is intended to wake people from sleep.
The Deafgard deaf fire alarm is a portable device which alerts people in an emergency. Also, Deafgard is designed as a fire alarm for the deaf and hard of hearing. Lastly, Deafgard has a vibration pad and flashing light which wakes people upon the sound of the alarm.
The Features of a Deafgard
Deafgard Deaf Fire Alarm has a vibration pad and flashing light which wakes people to the sound of the alarm.- A portable device, requiring no installation.
- Ensures you comply with elements of the Equality Act 2010.
- Manufactured in the UK.
- Independence for the user.
- Peace of mind for friends and family.
- Alarm clock facility.
- Made from recyclable materials.
- Deafgard is powered with 4 x C size alkaline batteries, supplied with the product.
Need To Prevent Fire Doors Slamming?
The Geofire Agrippa Vibrating Pillow Unit
Geofire’s Agrippa Deaf Alert is a digital pillow alarm that vibrates in the event of a fire, alerting deaf and hard-of-hearing individuals. Unlike standard smoke alarms, which trigger an auditory signal to wake sleepers, the Deaf Alert uses ‘listening’ and ‘vibrating’ technology. Essentially, if the standard fire alarm is triggered, this vibrating pillow unit will wake the sleeper by vibrating the pillow.
When the smoke alarm goes off, the high-intensity LED lights flash and an LCD screen displays “FIRE” while a pad placed under the user’s pillow vibrates to alert them. The Deaf Alert is compact and portable with both alarm clock functions.
The unit is powered by mains electricity and a backup battery. This means deaf or hard-of-hearing individuals have peace of mind as well as flexibility in their communication options.
Features Of An Agrippa by Geofire
- Easy to install and set up.
- Fail-safe dual power supply.
Smoke alarm included.- 12 month warranty.
- Vibrating pad to alert the deaf, hard of hearing, children, heavy sleepers or people on medication in the event of a fire.
- LED display with time and alarm clock function.
- Visual display of signal strength and battery level.
- Designed and manufactured in the UK.
- Compliant with the Equality Act 2010.
How Does A Vibrating Pillow Work?
The deaf fire alarm works using a battery-powered, portable fire and wake-up alarm. When activated by the sound of an existing building’s fire or smoke detector. Deaf fire alarms alert people who are deaf to sounds around them.
The deaf fire alarm pillow pad senses the buildings existing fire alarm. When the existing fire alarm sounds, the deaf fire alarm will vibrate and flash strobe lights.
- A deaf fire alarm continuously listens for the sound of a fire alarm.
- They are triggered by regular fire alarm sounds of around 75dB.
- This can be adjusted to increase sensitivity by up to 5dB.
- Deaf fire alarm vibration pads are then placed underneath a pillow or mattress.
- If the fire alarm sounds, the pad vibrates.
- Powerful lights on the vibrating pillow units flash and the screen displays “FIRE”.
This is designed to wake up people who are hard of hearing even in sleep or unconsciousness.
Industries That Use Vibrating Pillow Alarms
Hotels
The deaf fire alarm unit is a vibrating pillow alarm for use in hotels. This battery-operated device is acoustically operated and can be set to sound at any time during the day or night when a fire has been detected.
It is the ideal product for use in hotels because it can be issued to a person at check-in and used in any room within the hotel. This is on the assumption the fire alarm systems audibility meets appropriate standards.
Regulations: The deaf fire alarm is designed according to BS 5446-3 specification meaning this device is incredibly trusted.
Tips For Use: The deaf fire alarm base station is intended to sit on a bedside table. The vibrating pad should be placed under the user’s pillow before going to sleep.
Tips For Hotel Distribution: When guests arrive, they should be shown how the unit works by staff members at the hotel. The guest will be given a deaf fire alarm with them when they enter their room so that everyone can feel safe from fire.
Events Designed To Raise Awareness
About 70,000 people in the UK are born profoundly deaf or become deaf before they can speak. Their disabilities affect how easily they can navigate a society and healthcare system designed by and for hearing people.
Deaf Awareness Month, gives us the chance to recognise how important it is that we provide equal access to members of our communities who are deaf or hard of hearing.
Deaf Awareness Week
We love Deaf Awareness Week. Deaf Awareness Week is an annual event that will next take place on the 5th – 11th May 2025. Each year, this event focuses on a theme. The goal is to help participants better understand how people with hearing loss live their lives and participate in society.
Deafness and hearing loss are such broad terms. A lot of the people in this community prefer to use more specific ones when describing their own experience.
In addition, some charities believe that deafness is not a disability, but language deprivation certainly is. For this reason, a mission from Deaf Children Org is to make sure every deaf child can learn sign language from the very start.
“There are over 50,000 deaf children and young people in the UK, and we’ve asked some of them to share their deaf story during deaf awareness week.”
“By sharing their stories, we aim to empower and inspire other deaf children and young people to celebrate their deaf identity and feel confident with their deafness.” (source)
The Evacuation Process For A Deaf Person
When planning an evacuation process for people who are deaf or hearing impaired. The most important thing to consider is the actual fire alarm.
For a person who is deaf or hard of hearing, most fire alarms (which use sound) will be ineffective. This means you must come up with an alarm procedure that alerts all people. Including those with hearing problems, to the presence of a fire.
One way to alert hearing-impaired people during an emergency evacuation is to install a fire alarm system with light beacons. When the alarm goes off, these lights begin flashing.
Laws and Regulations
If you own or manage a commercial property, you have an obligation to minimise the risk of fire and protect your residents or employees. To comply with the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, you should conduct regular and thorough Fire Risk Assessments. This includes a comprehensive emergency evacuation plan. Building plans should include information about how all occupants would be able to safely and effectively escape. Also taking into account individual disabilities.
The Disability Discrimination Act (1995) reinforced the requirement that employers “take responsibility for ensuring that all people, including disabled people, can leave the building they control safely in the event of a fire”.
Conclusion
If you are hard of hearing or have a loved one that is, safety is the most important thing. The deaf fire alarm pillow pad can help provide a better chance of survival in case of an emergency. Your safety is our top priority, and we are committed to providing you with a wide range of products that can help you stay safe during an emergency. The deaf fire alarm pillow pad is just one of the many products we offer to help keep you safe. If you are interested in learning more about our other products, please visit our website today.
If you have questions about deaf fire alarms or any other product on this page, please contact us on 0330 999 8786 or via our contact us form and we will ring you back.
Statistics
Firstly, there are many reasons why a person may be deaf. Noise exposure, ageing or genetics, it doesn’t matter.
Estimates show that there are over 12 million people in the UK who suffer from some kind of hearing loss, and British Sign Language (BSL) is used by 151,000 Britons. By 2050, it is estimated that 2.5 billion people worldwide will have some degree of hearing loss, and 700 million will require medical treatment for their condition.
If you have severe hearing loss and want to protect yourself from fires. Fire alarms exist that are designed specifically for the hard of hearing. Instead of traditional noises, a fire alarm for the deaf can alert you using strobes or vibrations.
Statistics, Fire Alarms
Fire alarms save lives. If you have a fire alarm, it can alert you to a fire before it is too late. Fire alarms protect the lives of those they are meant to protect by waking them up and giving them time to escape the danger area.
- There were 33,180 house fires in the UK in 2020/21
- Cooking appliances are the leading cause of house fires
- There were 311 fire-related deaths in the UK in 2020/21
- A third of house fire-related deaths are caused by smoker’s materials
- 8% of house fires are started deliberately
- Source
Fire alarms are vital for those hard of hearing. They help alert the deaf and hard of hearing to danger, but they are only useful when they are used properly. If you have a hard of hearing friend or family member, make sure they know how to use them.
