However, our kids' brains are constantly monitoring their environment for noises that are familiar to them. In fact, our brains respond so powerfully to familiar voices that in tests, familiar voice alarms were shown to be 100% effective at awakening children in le
ss than one minute."The above information came from a brochure I was given for a Vocal Smoke Alarm by Say Anything. She thought it might be a product I'd be interested in for MIA. Was I ever!!
Now, I had never heard of a Vocal Smoke alarm and was equally shocked to learn that maybe my kids wouldn't wake to a conventional alarm. So I contacted the company (ironically located just down the road in Lewisberry) and requested more information, particularly about the study.
Steve, from Reddco, gave me a quick primer over the phone and then sent me an entire box full of studies and materials, including a CD that had a news story from a Boston TV station. The station conducted their own consumer test of this product using the kids in two Boston firefighters' homes..
In their test, they set off the smoke alarms in each family's house when the kids were sleeping. In both houses, all 5 kids slept through the alarm that beeped for over 5 minutes. One kid stirred a little, raised her head, and then plopped back down and pulled the sheets over her head. The parents were shocked! Shocked! All the kids knew exactly what to do in the event of a fire but never heard the smoke alarm.
A few weeks later, they tried the test again, this time with a Vocal Smoke Alarm and within 3-5 seconds all the kids were awakened and exiting their beds. I wouldn't have believed it if I didn't see this excellent news story.
A vocal smoke alarm allows parents to record personalized escape instructions. The idea is that your child is more likely to wake to a "familiar voice" of a parent. Once your child is awake, this alarm replays your personalized message which both calm your child and guide them safely out of the fire.
This product is also great for adults who are heavy sleepers and may sleep through a convential smoke alarm.
I invited Steve to speak at last month's MIA meeting and he had us riveted with his facts and product. If you think this may be a product that could be beneficial to your own family, you can learn more about the KidSmart Vocal Smoke Alarm at this site. It costs around $35 which isn't much more than a regular alarm but will afford much more peace of mind.
It would make a great Christmas present!
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment