Research: Smoke Alarms Can't Always Wake Children

By VICTORIA LIM

With each shriek of the smoke alarm, Mary Clark of Tampa became more and more anxious. The doors and windows to the house were all closed. But the ear-piercing beeps were so loud, even her neighbors who stood in her driveway could hear them.

But her 3-year-old son JC and their 7-year-old neighbor Brianna didn't. Both slept through the alarm perched just a few feet from the bedroom.

There was no fire. No smoke. It was fortunately just a home fire drill. But that didn't ease Clark's mind. "It's very scary, not knowing if he's going to wake up. What if I can't wake him up or don't hear it?" Clark said.

Studies conducted by researchers in Columbus, Ohio, including those from the Children's Hospital and Children's Research Institute, show children ages 6 through 12 sleep so soundly that even smoke alarms don't wake them. And if they do wake, the response time is so delayed, that in the case of a real fire, it could be too late.

"It could be devastating," said Capt. Bill Wade of Tampa Fire Rescue.

Tests such as the one at Clark's home reinforce the need for "parents to have a plan to respond to the smoke alarm and obviously not rely on kids to get themselves out of the house."

A tone alarm and an alarm that allowed Clark to record her voice and specifically address her child by name were set off after the children fell asleep. Neither woke them, even after four minutes.