SPRINGFIELD -- Firefighters and emergency crews say it again and again: “Smoke detectors save lives.” But a Contact KY3 investigation reveals some smoke detectors may not go off fast enough to save lives.

Two types of smoke detectors are sold. The investigation reveals the type that most people have in their homes has a life-threatening flaw.

“We saw black smoke, flames; the couch was on fire,” Michelle Douglas said in an interview on Nov. 10, 2005.

Douglas still can't believe her family made it out alive of their home in Republic.

“Without a doubt, it was the scariest thing,” she said.

Douglas and her five children escaped their burning home only because her husband was awake when the fire started.

“If I wouldn't have woke up before the smoke detector went off, we would have died upstairs. It's a scary thought,” said Douglas.

The upstairs was full of smoke.

“The heat was just immense,” said Douglas.

The smoke alarm didn't sound for more than 20 minutes, long after the family was safely outside.

“That's unbelievable,” said Douglas.

It’s unbelievable but not uncommon.

Working with the Springfield Fire Department, we set out to show how a room could get so smoky without a smoke alarm sounding. Our investigation clearly shows how different types of smoke detectors have different response rates, depending on the type of fire.

We installed two types of detectors: an ionization alarm, which is found in most homes, and a photoelectric alarm.

The first tests were with flaming fires. The ionization detector is designed to go off first. And it did. In three flaming tests, the ionization detector went off an average of 26 seconds after we set the fire. The photoelectric alarm didn't sound until an average of almost two minutes after the fires began.

It's a scary statistic. Even scarier are the results of our second test. In many fires nowadays, flames never break out.

“With today's synthetics and plastics and things, the flames might not break out as soon as you thought, and now you're just dealing with smoke,” said Springfield Assistant Fire Chief Randy Villines.

These smoldering fires can be just as dangerous but we found these alarms react very differently.

Firefighters used a soldering iron to simulate a smoldering fire. While ionization detectors typically go off first in a flaming fire, photoelectric alarms usually sound quicker in a smoldering fire -- but you'd never imagine by how much.

At 16 minutes and 40 seconds in our test, the photoelectric detector sounded. Then we waited, and waited, and waited to hear the ionization detector: 25 minutes, 30, and then 40 ticked by. The smoke at that point clearly would have killed someone, yet still the ionization smoke detector is silent.

We waited as smoke and silence from the ionization detector continued to fill the room. Finally, after more than 50 minutes, the ionization detector went off -- but only for a few seconds before it suddenly went silent. It wasn’t until more than 55 minutes that the alarm began sounding for good.

“That really surprised me. I thought it would go off a lot sooner than it did,” said Villines.

Villines says there's no question that no one inside the room at that point would have survived.

“If you're 50 minutes into a fire and it’s smoldering that badly, you're going to succumb to effects of the smoke and carbon monoxide,” the assistant chief said.

We did the test again with slightly better results: the photoelectric alarm sounded after 12 minutes and the ionization alarm after almost 40, although that’s still long enough to kill someone.

“If you waited for that to get out, you wouldn't make it; no one would,” said Villines.

As a result of tests like ours, the International Association of Fire Chiefs now recommends that homeowners buy a dual smoke alarm. It uses both ionization and photoelectric technologies. We tested one and, in both flaming and smoldering fires, it went off before any other detector.

At $30, a dual alarm costs twice as much as a photoelectric alarm and three times as much as an ionization alarm. The good news is, if you can't afford to replace every detector, you can buy a couple of photoelectric alarms and install them in addition to your existing ionization alarms for the same protection.

One thing not to do is completely remove existing detectors. Even if you can't afford a dual alarm, firefighters say any smoke detector is still safer than no detector.

To check what you have now, most alarms have a small I or P, indicating Ionization or Photoelectric.

WEB EXTRAS

Smoke Alarm Recommendations from International Association of Fire Chiefs

Fairfax , Va. , Sept. 18, 2007... A smoke characterization study finalized earlier this year is prompting the International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC) Fire and Life Safety Section (FLSS) to issue recommendations to fire departments concerning the use of smoke alarms.

The study, conducted by Underwriters Laboratories and the National Fire Protection Association’s Fire Protection Research Foundation, identifies differences and advantages to the two types of alarms in detecting smoke. Both ionization and photoelectric alarms are currently marketed to the public for residential installation. FLSS recommends that dual alarms using both technologies be installed for maximum protection.

“We recognize that many fire departments have residential safety programs where they offer and install alarms at no charge. We suggest departments continue their programs with the alarms they have on-hand, but we recommend that they upgrade to the dual-technology devices when it’s time to restock,” said Chief Steven Westermann, IAFC president.

“Life safety is an integrated strategy. Use the information in the FLSS position paper as part of your education plan to your community. Offer this as part of a comprehensive residential fire-protection program that includes integrating family-escape plans, proper usage of smoke alarms and installation of residential sprinkler systems,” said Westermann.

FLSS presents its detailed recommendations in a position paper, which was reviewed and approved by the IAFC board of directors during their meeting in August. To view the position paper, go to www.iafc.org/flss.
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Statement from Springfield Fire Department

The Springfield Fire Department will continue to use the ionization alarms donated to the department by Lowe’s Home Improvement stores but will consider the possibility of beginning the promotion and distribution of the dual purpose alarms in the future.