President's Perspective

A CTV investigative report on W-5 in January found that ionization alarms did not immediately detect deadly smouldering fires.

In the minds of the public, this report challenged the fact that smoke alarms save lives. In 1974 Canada's annual fire fatality rate was 4.1 per 100,000 population. Now it's about 1.3, or about 400 fatalities a year, 80 per cent of which are in home fires. Smoke alarms are a major factor in this drop. During the mid 1970s and early 1980s, smoke alarms were promoted, then mandated in jurisdictions across Canada.

An independent report was commissioned by Health Canada's Product Safety Branch. That report concluded that the smoke alarms which W-5 found to be defective were in fact safe and reliable in all types of fire.

The problem is that few consumers are aware of the fact that not all smoke alarms are the same. Different types of smoke alarms detect specific types of fire.

A flaming fire burns combustibles quickly, spreads rapidly and generates a lot of heat but only a little smoke. Cooking fat or grease, flammable liquids, newspapers, paint, cleaning solutions all burn quickly and create more flames than smoke. The common ionization alarms studied in the CTV report typically respond first to fast flaming fires. They are best suited for rooms which contain highly combustible materials.

A smouldering fire produces a lot of smoke but little heat. It may smoulder for hours before bursting into flame. Large pieces of furniture, such as sofas, chairs, mattresses and counter tops, burn slowly and create more smoke than flames. Photoelectric type smoke alarms typically respond first to slow smouldering fires and are less prone to nuisance alarms near the kitchen area. These models are best suited for living rooms, bedrooms and near kitchens. Smoking is often a factor in smouldering fires, so if there is a smoker in the house we strongly recommend installing a photoelectric alarm in those areas.

For maximum protection, install at least one ionization and one photoelectric type smoke alarm (or a combination alarm) on each level of your home. When you buy a smoke alarm, make sure it bears the ULC label, which assures the product meets Canadian standards.

Smoke alarms work, and they work well. When they don't, it's because of product obsolescence (alarms wear out after 10 years), battery failure (batteries must be replaced every six months) or battery removal.