Retail smoke detectors do NOT work the way you think, and can leave your family at risk. I realize that in-depth studies can get very long (and very boring) to read and can still sometimes leave you wondering what you just read. In this article, I will attempt to cut a 3-year, several hundred page study down to a few paragraphs of information that your family can really use.

This study, titled “Full Scale Research and Testing of Fire Detection Systems in a Residential Structure conducted at Texas A&M University” was done in the mid ’90s and to this day is the only study I am aware of that was complete (taking all factors into consideration) and went through a peer-review process. (That means all the experts in the field think it is really good…and accurate!)

What makes this study unique is the fact that it used real information about the likelihood that our detector would work properly, factoring real-life scenarios that we all must deal with, such as failure because of lack of maintenance, improper location, lack of power source, lack of quality in the manufacturing process, etc. Then, they used this information, along with hundreds of live fire tests using real-life variables, such as windows and doors open or shut, ceiling fans on or off, and heat or AC on or off. They then used mathematical formulas to determine the …

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DeTech saved 263 lives in home fires. Our nationwide network of independent dealers has combined to save the lives of 263 people so far, but what may be even more impressive is that no DeTech customers’ lives have ever been lost.

There are probably a lot more lives our smoke alarms and heat detectors are responsible for saving, but 263 is what we have documented. We actually have letters from these families at our World Headquarters in Saukville, WI that tell the individual stories. They are all very moving, but some of them will bring you to tears thinking about what may have happened if not for our dedicated safety consultants and our quality products.

Our smoke detectors do what we say they do and they are built to last with a minimum of maintenance. That’s not only what people need, but it’s what they want. No one wants to mess with trying to remember to test their smoke alarms, replace batteries, clean the alarms and replace them every few years. No one wants to do that…and almost no one will.

Our exemplary record is intact for several reasons. To start with, we believe that educating our potential customers is most important and I don’t know of any other company that spends virtually all of its advertising dollars educating the public the way our local independent dealers …

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To start with, I suspect less than 1% of families have ever read the manual for their smoke detectors. Who needs it…I mean, how hard can it be to throw a few screws in the wall or ceiling? You don’t need a manual for that, right?

I would like to challenge you to really read the whole thing. If you do, you will probably wonder how they can even sell these things. And you will certainly be questioning their value…as you should!

As I write this, I am looking at an owner’s manual for a smoke detector. I prefer not to mention the brand name, as knocking any particular brand is not my purpose with this article, but let’s just say it is a very well-known brand.

On the very first page it says, “According to the Federal Emergency Management Agency, an agency of the U.S. Government, they may not go off, or give early enough warning in as many as 35% of all fires.” WHAT! This is a brand new detector with brand new batteries and they just told you it won’t work 35% of the time! What appliance do you have that you would tolerate that from? Of course, they know you will never read the manual. What if you bought a new car and…no one told bothered to tell …

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Choosing the right Carbon Monoxide Detector to protect your family can save lives. Here’s some hard-to-find information to help you. Having the right information about carbon monoxide detectors will help you make the right decision for your family. Just like smoke detectors, not all carbon monoxide detectors are created equal. When it comes to detection devices that could save your life in a home fire, many families don’t get a second chance…you need to get this right the first time. This does not mean just buying the right detector and technology. It also means making sure you have the detectors in the right place.

The recommended location is one per floor of your home, but at the least you should have one on every floor of the home where someone is sleeping. You do NOT want to locate your carbon monoxide detector too close (15 ft) to any gas appliance or fireplace. Many appliances will emit some small amounts of carbon monoxide every time they start; usually any appliance that has a pilot light, such as many furnaces, dryers, gas stoves, etc.

There are many differing thoughts as to where to locate the detectors in the room. I find it interesting, and possibly more than a coincidence, that many companies that have combination CO and smoke detectors, recommend them on the ceiling or high on the wall. …

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DeTech Inc, an international wholesaler of high-quality early warning fire detection equipment for residential homes, recently announced that it has developed an educational program for businesses and is encouraging their independent dealers nationwide to offer the programs locally. The safety program deals with the very important subject of what is causing modern fires, how to prevent them, what to do when it happens to you, and the different types of technology designed to alert you to a fire. It is fast paced, educational and fun for participants. The safety program is presented only by DeTech Certified Safety Consultants that are highly trained in home fire safety education and protection.

A DeTech representative said, “It occurred to us that many businesses are conducting internal safety meetings to help eliminate accidents on the job, but research indicates that most employee time away from work is caused from accidents that happen at home. Fire is one of the leading causes of accidental death and injury in the home, especially for children. If we can save one life or injury with this short safety program, we have done a service to the local business and the community. Our independent dealers do not charge for the safety program and can usually custom fit it to any time schedule.”

Fire safety is a very interesting…and always important topic. This program is short and lively and really gets people thinking about fire safety. Of course, …

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Did you know what the most common thing children under the age of 10 do in case of a home fire? If you said hide, you are correct. It is an instinct for children to hide from the fire, just the same as many farm animals will not run out of a burning barn. That is their home and where they feel comfortable. Today, firefighters are trained to look under blankets, under beds and in closets for children, because they know they will want to hide when they are scared.

During a survey my company conducted a few years back, hundreds of children were asked what they would do if they woke up in the middle of the night and noticed the house was on fire. Over 80% of the children under the age of 10 said they would “Stop, drop and roll”. That is scary!

Is “Stop, Drop and Roll” The Right Thing To Do?

We have done such a good job teaching children to stop, drop and roll if their clothes are on fire, that is has become the only thing they think about and relate to fire. Obviously if they really did that, the results could be catastrophic. The worst part is that most of the parents just sort of shrugged it off and said, “They teach them that in school”.

Don’t Get Too Close To The Floor!

When pushed a little …

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In an ongoing effort from the World Headquarters of DeTech Inc. to give back to the community, a nationwide campaign to provide toys for children ended with hundreds of donations from its Independent Dealers from all over the country.  DeTech Dealers in over 20 states donated hundreds of “Flash the Fire Dog” toys and fire escape planning booklets that will be distributed to children all across the U.S. before Christmas.  Many of these children are in shelters and group homes and would otherwise not have much of a Christmas.

Michael Hafeman, President of DeTech Inc. said, “It is always important to remember how fortunate we are and being able to share that with others is a big part of what this season is about.  We are proud of the participation of our independent dealers and look forward to working with the DSA and the TODAY Show for this important effort for years to come.”

DeTech Firesense Technologies is a proud member of the DSA, who coordinates this effort nationwide and gives the donations to the TODAY Show toy drive.  This is the third year that DeTech and its Dealers have participated in the drive.

DSA’s Amy Robinson appeared live on NBC’s TODAY Show on Monday, Nov. 24, 2008,  to present the direct selling industry’s donation of more

…

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Most families are ill-prepared for a deadly home fire and it is usually because there is a lot we don’t know. Many fire safety campaigns are good at getting out the message that we need to do something, but that something is too often not enough. Public service announcements are limited to 30 or 60-second commercials on TV or radio, a small handout brochure, or maybe a tiny ad in the paper. There is no way to give each family the education they need to really fight the home fire problem in these “sound bites”.

The National Fire Protection Association includes complete information in the 2010 Code Book, but it takes over 20 pages to describe all the methods and requirements that are needed for life-safety. There is simply no way to properly project this information through typical media.

True and complete fire protection for a home and family needs to be customized and should be done by a trained professional, but here are the basics of what should be considered.

1. A Family Escape Plan – It is critical to plan for escape and the most important consideration should go to where everyone is located while sleeping, since this is the time that most (deadly) fires occur. Plan for escape considering that it will be pitch black and you won’t be able to see and that you will have very little time…only 1 or 2 minutes….

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You might ask; what gives certain communities their vitality? In most cases it has to do with how their citizens, public servants and local industry give back in the way of philanthropy and community service. DeTech is a strong believer in giving back to the communities its dealers of fire safety products and information serve.

“We always preach to the independent dealers who represent our products that community outreach is critical for their long-term success and it is just the right thing to do;” states Michael Hafeman, President of DeTech, Inc. located in Saukville, WI.

Hafeman believes in practicing what he preaches. He has been involved with several organizations that have benefited local communities throughout his professional career. In recent years he was active in supporting the Wisconsin State Firefighters Memorial helping to raise funds for a very worthy cause. The board of directors had a very ambitious plan to build a beautiful memorial on the banks of the Wisconsin River in central Wisconsin as a display of respect for all fallen firefighters that had died in the line of duty. The memorial was finally completed in 2008.

Michael has also been a board member of the Wisconsin Alliance for Fire Safety since 2001.

The WAFS is a state wide nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting fire safety, burn prevention and to support burn survivors. For the past 15 the WAFS has sponsored an annual camp for burn …

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Learn these and save your family’s lives.

Most experts agree that, to one degree or another, we all have these misconceptions about home fires that represent the reasons we don’t take action. And taking action is the only way we can reduce or eliminate our chances of death or injury from this terrible killer and crippler.

Misconception #1 – It Won’t Happen To Me

Not believing fire will happen is why the U.S. has the highest death rate in the industrialized world. There are as many as two million reported fires annually and many more are unreported. It is estimated that Americans experience as many as 5400 fires per day…or a fire every 12 seconds happening to someone, somewhere.

According to the 2010 NFPA, it is estimated that each household will experience three (usually unreported) fires per decade and two fires serious enough to report to a fire department per lifetime. Think about it…our fire problem is not what is used to be. We are not only having a fire problem…most of us are trying to make it worse!

Do you have more or less electronic gadgets in your home today than you did when you where a child? You said a lot more, right? The majority of all fires are electrical in nature and everything we have that is plugged in is now part of our …

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