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PrintHank Investigates: A Cause for Alarm
Rebekkah, age 12, sleeps peacefully in her Hanover home. What she doesn't know, right now, she's terrifying her parents.
We've set off the smoke alarm outside Rebekkah's bedroom to see if she'll wake up. For two solid minutes the alarm shrieks but Rebekkah doesn't move.
Hank Phillippi Ryan
"What did you just see?"
Paul Campbell, Rebekkah's Father
"It is disturbing."
And here is what will frighten every parent, if you rely on a smoke detector to wake your sleeping child that may be a fatal error.
More than half of young children, who die in home fires, are asleep. One possible reason, as our experiment shows, smoke detectors just didn't wake them up.
Lucy Walsh, age three, sister Hannah, sister Olivia, age seven, three year old Wyatt Campbell and his big sister Rebekkah -- all children of Quincy firefighters.
With the help of fire safety expert Lieutenant Bob Servaes, we first made sure all the kids understood the basics. The importance of having a fire drill.
Lt. Bob Servaes
"So you know what to do in cast the real thing does happen."
How a smoke alarm sounds and what to do when you hear it.
Lt. Bob Servaes
"Your first job is to get out."
We told them we'd be back some night to test their fire safety skills, and that when they hear the alarm, they should instantly get up and get out.
Hank Phillippi Ryan
"Got it?"
A week later, when the kids were all asleep, we set up night vision cameras and set off the smoke alarms. You may think that sound would wake anyone up. Sleep experts say adults: yes, children: no.
Dr. Sanford Auerbach, Boston Medical Center
"Their brain waves are different, their sleep patterns are different, their stages of sleep are different."
And look at Wyatt in his crib -- not a flinch. Lucy, Olivia, Hannah under the covers and Rebecca -- all sleeping soundly.
Experts know that in a fire you've got to escape quickly. The deadly smoke and flames spread in an instant. After two minutes, your chances of escape and survival are critically diminished.
So we let the smoke alarm ring for two full minutes. Wyatt and Rebbekkah were completely oblivious. Their parents were completely astonished.
Debbie Campbell
"I feel sick, physically ill, that she may not have even moved."
At the Walsh kids home, we even let the alarm ring for a minute longer.
Lucy, still no reaction. Hannah… nothing.
At one point, Olivia sits up, then pulls the covers over her head to drown out the noise and goes back to sleep. Their parents watched in dismay.
Paul Campebell
"It doesn't work."
And fire experts know every second of delay may lead to disaster.
Hank Phillippi Ryan
"Is three minutes too long to stay asleep in a fire?"
Lt. Bob Servaes
"Absolutely, it is way too long."
And as the Campbells watched their slumbering children they realized, when Rebekkah baby sits for Wyatt, the two children are home alone.
Debbie Campbell
"If they were at home without us, I think they would be dead."
Paul Campbell
"Yeah something has to be done."
Some researchers say they may have the answer, a smoke alarm that adds a familiar voice to the wakeup warning. Research video shows the voice alert does seem to work on the test subject.
But would a voice alarm wake our sleeping kids?
One company allowed us to use a product they now have in development. Remember, every child slept through the alarm that beeps. Now watch as we add the familiar voice of their parents.
Little Lucy Walsh at the sound of her dad's voice, instantly her eyes flutter. Twelve seconds later, she's sitting up.
Olivia is out of bed in 14 seconds. Hannah's up in 26.Hank Phillippi Ryan
"What kind of difference could that make?"Carolyn Walsh
"Life or death."
Three-year-old brother Wyatt Campbell takes longer, but in less than a minute, he's awake and then crying.
Sister Rebekkah, hearing her mother’s voice, is awake in six seconds. She fights to get back to sleep but she just can't ignore the voice. In thirty seconds she's out of bed and into her father's arms.
Paul Campbell
"It worked!"
Experts emphasize smoke detectors are essential in every home. But for these parents, at least, our experiment is a wakeup call to their limitations.
Hank Phillippi Ryan
"What does that mean to you?"Paul Campbell
"The life of my children, what’s more important than that?"
Parents can easily test in home fire drills to see if their children will wake up at the sound of the smoke detector. If they don't, that's a clear signal to adjust the family escape plans.
Those voice alarms should be on the market in the coming months.
For more information on the vocal smoke detector by KidSmart visit www.kidsmartcorp.com.